Building-Integrated District Energy Systems: Implementation, Optimization, and Management
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 182
Special Issue Editors
Interests: district energy system; smart city and community; urban and building energy efficiency; green building; green finance
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As the global community accelerates efforts to decarbonize the built environment, district energy systems (DESs) have become a cornerstone of enhancing building energy efficiency and integrating renewable sources at the community scale. While the benefits of DESs for buildings—including district heating, cooling, and thermal energy networks—are well-recognized, their successful implementation, optimization, and management are critical to maximizing building performance and sustainability. At the same time, the successful implementation of DESs depends heavily on their seamless integration with the building sector. This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between system-level potential and building-level application by exploring the latest advancements in making these systems work for buildings.
We invite researchers and practitioners to submit original research and review articles that address the technical, economic, and operational challenges from a building-centric perspective. Key areas of focus include innovative design and planning frameworks for connecting buildings to thermal networks, building-to-district (B2D) energy modeling, the role of buildings as "prosumers" within multi-energy microgrids, advanced control and optimization strategies for building-level energy use, and the integration of decentralized renewable energy, geothermal, and waste heat recovery within building clusters. Furthermore, we encourage contributions on the digital transformation of building energy management through digital twins, AI, and smart control strategies that enhance the performance of both individual buildings and the wider district system. By showcasing cutting-edge methodologies and successful case studies, this Special Issue seeks to provide a roadmap toward more resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solutions for the building sector.
Dr. Zhuolun Chen
Dr. Jing Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- district energy systems (DES) for buildings
- building energy optimization
- smart buildings and districts
- digital twins and AI for building performance
- thermal energy network
- low-carbon building clusters
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