Open public spaces may be activated through urban elements that integrate the function of shelter and renewable energy production, i.e., shading users from direct solar radiation and generating energy from solar gains. In this framework, an adaptive lightweight and unitized canopy structure with integrated thin-film photovoltaic modules placed on aluminum substrates, is developed and investigated in its structural behavior and kinematics, as well as in its energy performance. The investigation involves numerical simulations and experimental testing of a small-scale prototype.