Sustainability in Energy and Buildings: Future Perspectives and Challenges: 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The global urgency to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions has reshaped the priorities of every sector, with the construction and building industry at the forefront of this transition. Buildings are among the largest energy consumers worldwide, and despite technological advances, energy demand in the built environment has shown a steady increase over the past two decades. Addressing this challenge is critical to achieving climate neutrality goals and ensuring a resilient, sustainable future.

Sustainability in buildings—spanning their design, construction, operation, and end-of-life—is, therefore, one of the most pressing issues of our time. It requires an integrated approach that bridges engineering, architecture, digital technologies, and environmental sciences. Alongside well-established strategies such as renewable integration, high-performance materials, and lifecycle analysis, emerging tools like artificial intelligence, digital twins, big data analytics, and smart building management systems are opening new pathways for innovation. These technologies, coupled with nature-based solutions and circular economy approaches, hold immense potential to transform buildings from passive consumers into active players in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This Special Issue seeks to bring together cutting-edge research and visionary strategies that advance sustainability in the building sector. We invite contributions that not only address traditional themes but also explore new paradigms that push the boundaries of sustainable construction and energy systems.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Innovative and sustainable building materials and circular construction practices;
• Passive and active building envelopes and adaptive façades;
• HVAC systems and their integration with smart/IoT-based control and automation;
• Renewable energy systems for buildings (PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal, and hybrid systems);
• Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twin applications for sustainable building design and operation;
• Smart grids, demand response, and building-to-grid integration;
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and circular economy approaches;
• Nature-based solutions and climate-resilient building strategies;
• Policy, regulation, and socio-economic perspectives on sustainable buildings.

We warmly welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that offer novel insights and practical solutions to accelerate the sustainable transformation of the building sector.

Prof. Dr. Sergio Montelpare
Dr. Camilla Lops
Guest Editors

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