Future Zero Energy Buildings

Dear Colleagues,

In the past decade, the design principles and the performance assessment of zero energy buildings (ZEBs) have been crucial to driving the research community towards a new generation of research studies on the global energy performance of buildings and to innovating the construction industry around the world.

The ZEB target has been translated from research to practice, setting new construction standards. In this context, it is recognized that the design of a ZEB requires a holistic approach, and its target can be reached with the best combination of envelope, systems, and energy sources, under technical and financial constraints that change in space and time.

In particular, a ZEB that is optimally designed under current boundaries will not necessarily be resilient in the future nor be able to adapt to climate change, in terms of ability to deal with the increase entity and frequency of extreme events and to maintain the desired energy (and cost) performance in the short and medium term. This may also have an impact on future occupants’ health and wellbeing, as their indoor comfort may not be properly guaranteed.

In this context, the current ZEB target can be seen as a starting point for new challenges. The aim of the present Special Issue is to bring together up-to-date research activities focused on all aspects related to ZEBs, which are seen as complex systems that interact with humans and the outdoor environment in view of future scenarios, such as:

• Construction materials for ZEBs and their performance over their lifespan;
• New envelope technologies for ZEB adaptation to climate change;
• New and integrated renewable energy technologies for ZEB adaptation to climate change;
• Design of ZEBs for extreme climate conditions;
• Assessment of the integrated performance of ZEBs in future climate and economic scenarios;
• New automation, control, and smart systems for ZEBs;
• Measurements, monitoring, and verification of ZEBs operation and the role of user behavior;
• Evolution of indoor environmental quality in current and future ZEBs.

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