Nowadays, China appears to be facing the challenges of
population expansion and an energy shortage. With rich
solar resources in most areas of China, it is an opportunity
to develop solar energy and to promote energy saving
buildings, which fully reflects the concept of sustainable
development and green ecological energy-saving. In the
second section, authors have briefly introduced the characteristics
and distribution of the solar energy resources in
China; meanwhile, the main forms of solar energy utilization
are summarized. Next, the utilization of photo-thermal
technology in solar-powered residential buildings (SPRBs)
is analyzed from the perspective of current technology and
economic benefit. In the fourth section, based on the
analysis of active SPRBs and passive SPRBs, the authors
have put forward the building integrated solar energy
(BISE) design to integrate technology and aesthetics, aiming
to realize the harmony between solar technologies and
building appearance. This approach alleviates some of the
biggest challenges to solar energy adoption and provides a
path forward for this technology.