solar modules to create solar PV windows and this way, also to retrofit existing building. There are several BIPV products (e.g PV shingles) were PV make up all of the roof material and there are methods to convert conventional modules to roof slates. Shade Solar panels can also be mounted as shade structures where the solar panels can provide shade instead of patio covers. The cost of such shading systems are generally different from standard patio covers, especially in cases where the entire shade required is provided by the panels. The support structure for the shading systems can be normal systems as the weight of a standard PV array is between 3 and 5 pounds/ft2. If the panels are mounted at an angle steeper than normal patio covers, the support structures may require additional strengthening. Other issues that are considered include: Simplified array access for maintenance. Module wiring may be concealed to maintain the aesthetics of the shading structure. Growing vines around the structure must be avoided as they may come in contact with the wiring. PV Fencing Bifacial PV modules can be installed vertically and operated as a fence. For example, bifacial PV worked as an outer fence of the global loop in the EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan. PV systems can also be used for snow fences. Monofacial PV can be metal zip-tied to existing fencing to make a very low cost PV rack. A study cataloged the types of fences and wind load calculations to determine the viability of fence-based racking throughout the U.S. and found fences could have at least one PV module between uprights for agricultural fences (sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and alpaca). For fences microinverters had better performance when the cross-over fence length is under 30 m or when the system was designed with less than seven solar PV modules (e.g. gardens), whereas string inverters were a better selection for longer fences (e.g. farms). Sound barriers PV can also be mounted on or be part of sound barriers/ noise barriers. PV on noise barriers and has been around for since 1989 in Switzerland. There has been considerable not only on the PV module technology, but also in the construction of photovoltaic noise barriers (PVNB). The installed capacity of PVNBs deployed on noise barriers in a single state is comparable to the installed capacities of the largest solar farms in the U.S. and yet due to