Building integrated photovoltaics is an important measure to promote energy conservation and low-carbon urban growth. However, the diversity of buildings and complexity of urban environments make it difficult to efficiently utilize solar resources on building surfaces, due to the influence of shadows from surrounding buildings with different layouts and morphologies. Furthermore, to install a solar power panel system, it is necessary to evaluate the costs throughout the life cycle. In particular, the location and construction method of solar panels have a significant impact on construction costs. Therefore, this study evaluates the solar energy potential of buildings in diverse urban environments based on economic and life cycle analysis. By controlling building morphology parameters in different ranges, thousands of block models are generated for residential buildings based on a parametric approach. Then, the solar energy potential is evaluated for building roofs and facades, including the solar radiation, photovoltaics (PV) power potential, PV investment costs, PV life cycle benefits, and payback period, etc. The utilization characteristics of solar energy potential for building surfaces are assessed based on PV power generation and life-cycle economic analysis. Correspondingly, the massive solutions regarding the economical installation strategies can be provided for photovoltaic applications on building roofs and facades in different urban environments, which can adapt to the widespread use of solar technology in urban buildings and promote the Carbon Neutral of cities. The proposed approach and findings are expected to offer inspiration for solar design and PV application in urban buildings.