At present, building energy consumption is growing rapidly in China and it accounts for
about 30% of the total energy consumption. Solar energy, as a type of renewable energy,
will greatly alleviate the pressure of the building energy consumption if it is widely used in
residential buildings. Firstly, this paper briefly introduced the characteristics and distribution
of solar energy resources in China. Secondly, this paper summarized the three types
of solar energy utilization: light-gathering utilization, solar energy photo-thermal utilization
and photovoltaic utilization. Among them, photo-thermal technology is suitable for
solar-powered residential buildings (SPRBs) in terms of current technology and economy.
Thirdly, authors analyzed the passive SPRBs and active SPRBs, where the active SPRBs are
more intelligent due to its flexibility and controllability. Based on the above analysis, to
realize the harmony between solar technologies and building appearance, authors put
forward building integrated solar energy (BISE) design in the consideration of technology
and aesthetics. The development and application of solar technologies in residential
buildings embodies the concepts of energy conservation, environmental protection and
sustainable development, and it will promote the development of building energy
efficiency.