ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the green technologies that can be used in designing solar sustainable homes and to review the issues that arise.
The first part of the chapter describes the functions and purposes of green technologies, grouped into life systems and material systems. Life systems are the bioclimatic systems that operate within the ecosphere and interact with it. These are mainly active systems that include resource-producing systems, such as solar hot water, and climate control systems, such as air conditioning. Material systems are derived from the lithosphere and concern those materials that have environmentally friendly qualities. There is a strong political imperative to utilize green technologies to improve environmental performance of houses (AGO, 1999a, b; USDOE, 2003).
