New energy regulations, together with mandatory solar fractions for electricity and Domestic Hot Water are introducing new materialities and geometries in buildings, resulting in new forms of architectural expression that are slowly modifying our city landscapes. The increased use of active solar collectors in buildings is clearly necessary and welcome, but brings major challenges in already existing environments. The large size of solar systems at the building scale asks for thoughtful planning, as these systems may end up compromising the quality of the building, threatening the identity of entire contexts.