BIPV is different. It proclaims a message about our care for the environment, it can be anywhere and everywhere, and it matters what it looks like and how people feel about it. Public enthusiasm and support are vital, not least to the PV industry. Architects will, or should be involved with engineers in the design of solar buildings so that PV is integrated into the fabric in ways that marry technical function with aesthetics. A modern factory producing solar cell, or an exhibition centre for renewable technologies, offers an ideal opportunity to create a striking building that makes a highly visible statement about our technological future; a family living in a low-energy timber-framed eco-home may see their PV modules as a symbol of sustainability, an alternative lifestyle. In their very different ways all wish to proclaim a message about renewable energy that can only be successfully communicated by high-quality BIPV.