This paper presents a survey of photovoltaic (PV) applications and the progress that has been achieved by 2023 in Europe. The EU plans to introduce the use of PV applications in all new buildings after 2025. This will commence in Germany, followed by the rest of the European Community. This means that at least 40% of EU electricity will have been generated by photovoltaics, mostly in the built environment. For example, these will be PV on rooftops, car park shading devices, floating PV on lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, and extensive coverage in brownfield sites (PV farms). From its extensive use in the domestic construction industry, PV can be considered an important building material.