In September 2007, a research Romanian institute (IPA SA) and four Romanian universities (WUT, PUB, TUT and UAUIM) started a research project on “Promotion of Solar Architecture in Romania” (PASOR), [1]. The project will be concluded in September 2010.

The main issue proposed to be solved by the project refers to the opening of a solar building market. The methods proposed are focussed on the two target groups:

• raising the public awareness of the environmental degradation, especially now when it was proved that the effects of human action upon nature have devastating consequences on the one hand and on the other one when the European energy market had suffered another shock through the increase in the price of natural

gases; information regarding how to use renewable energy sources, pointing out the economical advantages deriving from them;

• offering tools and training to experts by elaboration of concrete solar architecture solutions.

• To fulfil these goals, the following specific objectives were proposed:

• Initiation of a network for monitoring the solar energy on tilted surfaces, including: design, practical achievement and calibration of the measuring instrumentation;

• setting up of two measurement centres for meteorological parameters and data acquisitions in Bucharest and Timisoara;

• development of a software program for the estimation with an acceptable accuracy of the solar energy collectable in other locations than those selected within the project;

• creation of a web-site allowing on-line access to the data base

• The data base developed at the first specific objective represents the main source of information in dimensioning the photovoltaic systems. As such, we want to develop interactive software to facilitate the process of designing grid-connected or stand-alone PV systems, with on-line access on the website of the project.

• Elaboration of technical solutions for PV systems integrated into facade and roof elements — private or public buildings: schools, libraries.

• Installation of three demo PV systems, and their monitoring, through measurements for an entire year, at three public buildings visited both by experts and by the public, in Bucharest (terrace covering at UAUIM and window of BIPV Laboratory at PUB) and Timisoara (roof of WUT).

• Intense dissemination activities: promotion of the idea of PV architecture through the organisation of a workshop, inviting representatives of potential promoters: companies from the architecture, building and energy fields of activity as well as specialists from the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology;

Measurable objectives:

• Promoting the increase in the percent of renewable energies in the energy balance of Romania. Promoting efficient installations and building them at lower cost price, would aid Romania’s rapid integration in the EU structure, which established as one of its priorities the development and use of renewable energies. Furthermore a decrease in the import of raw materials such as crude oil, natural gas and coal would be registered.

• Education of potential users through the presentation of the advantages in using those installations, which could aid environmental protection and decreasing greenhouse effect.

As specified, the project objectives are focused on the main objective of the programme, aiming at the acceleration of the process of harmonisation with EU standards and requirements in the building construction area. Considering that the use of renewable energy is a priority both for the European Commission and for Romania’s Government, the proposed project relates correctly to the priorities and specific objectives of the European Research Area. The objectives aim to introduce a new concept in urban development by promoting a new science, the photovoltaic architecture, and to initiate R&D activities in this area. All of these stress the complex interdisciplinary character of the thematic approached in this project.