The Role of Windows and Building Facades in Energy Efficiency and Indoor Environments

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: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1096

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Architectural & Urban Systems Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
Interests: architectural environmental engineering; high performance building façades; dynamic and advanced window system; zero-energy buildings; building energy performance analysis; indoor environmental quality evaluation
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Guest Editor
Department of Architectural & Urban Systems Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
Interests: smart window technologies; building performance simulation; building energy efficiency; thermal and visual performance evaluation; window control strategy and optimization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce this Special Issue of Buildings, entitled “The Role of Windows and Building Facades in Energy Efficiency and Indoor Environments”.

Windows and building facades play critical roles in determining the environmental performance of buildings and, as the demand for zero-energy buildings and comfortable and healthy indoor environments continues to rise, the design and operational technologies of high-performance building envelopes have become indispensable.

This Special Issue aims to present state-of-the-art research, advanced methodologies, and innovative technologies related to window systems, façade performance, and their impact on building energy consumption and indoor environmental quality. 

Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas:

  • High-performance façade systems;
  • Advanced window, glazing, and shading technologies;
  • Dynamic and smart windows;
  • Thermal environment assessment;
  • Daylighting and visual environment analysis;
  • Ventilation and indoor air quality;
  • Zero-energy and low-energy buildings;
  • Façade control algorithms and integrated optimization;
  • Building performance simulation;
  • Sustainable façade materials and emerging technologies. 

We look forward to broad participation from researchers across related fields, contributing to a constructive platform for insightful academic exchange. The submission deadline for this Special Issue is 30 September 2026

Thank you for your interest and contributions.

Prof. Dr. Seung-Yeong Song
Dr. Soo-Jin Lee
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • high-performance building envelopes
  • advanced window, glazing, and shading device systems
  • dynamic and smart window technologies
  • thermal environment performance assessment
  • daylighting and visual environment performance analysis
  • ventilation strategies and indoor air quality
  • building energy efficiency
  • façade control strategies and optimization
  • building performance simulation
  • sustainable façade materials and design

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4407 KB  
Article
Development of a Design Decision-Support Process for Photovoltaic System for Zero-Energy Building Certification and Operation
by Sanghoon Park and Dongwoo Kim
Buildings 2026, 16(7), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16071426 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 369
Abstract
As zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) become increasingly mandatory, photovoltaic (PV) systems play a key role in increasing on-site energy generation. For staged ZEB certification based on the energy self-sufficiency ratio (ESSR), it is essential to determine the required power generation and to design PV [...] Read more.
As zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) become increasingly mandatory, photovoltaic (PV) systems play a key role in increasing on-site energy generation. For staged ZEB certification based on the energy self-sufficiency ratio (ESSR), it is essential to determine the required power generation and to design PV systems with appropriate installation area and location. This study proposes a systematic design decision-support process for PV system planning that links required energy generation to panel installation strategies. The process enables the determination of a feasible installation area and location of PV panels and was implemented as a design-support program. The proposed process was applied to an apartment building under construction with a ZEB certification grade 5. Compared to the existing design, the optimal design reduced the required PV system capacity by 1.7% while increasing the predicted power generation by approximately 2.8%. The reported improvement in energy generation represents a relative comparison between design alternatives evaluated under identical modeling assumptions and therefore remains valid for comparative design decision-making. Field measurements conducted at a residential building with installed PV systems showed that the predicted power generation is consistent with measured trends, supporting comparative design evaluation and feasibility screening in early-stage PV planning. The developed design process provides a practical framework for early-stage PV system planning, supporting informed design decisions to meet target energy self-sufficiency requirements in ZEBs. Full article
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22 pages, 4924 KB  
Article
Experimental Evaluation of the Impacts of Suspended Particle Device Smart Windows with Glare Control on Occupant Thermal and Visual Comfort Levels in Winter
by Sue-Young Choi, Soo-Jin Lee and Seung-Yeong Song
Buildings 2026, 16(2), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16020444 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 437
Abstract
The building sector accounts for approximately 30% of global energy use. The demand for energy-efficient, high-performance buildings is increasing given the increasing awareness of the climate crisis. The building envelope greatly influences overall building energy performance. Considering the broad shift from passive to [...] Read more.
The building sector accounts for approximately 30% of global energy use. The demand for energy-efficient, high-performance buildings is increasing given the increasing awareness of the climate crisis. The building envelope greatly influences overall building energy performance. Considering the broad shift from passive to adaptive systems, smart window technologies are attracting attention. Despite their potential, few scholars have examined occupant comfort in spaces with smart windows. This gap is addressed herein by comparatively analyzing occupants’ responses to thermal and visual environments in a room with a smart window (RoomSW) and a room with a conventional window (RoomCW) in a residential building in winter. The smart window is operated via a glare-prevention tint control strategy. The results reveal that under thermal conditions comparable to those in an actual dwelling, wintertime smart window tinting for glare prevention does not decrease occupants’ thermal sensation or satisfaction. Regarding visual comfort, conditions in RoomSW and RoomCW satisfy the minimum illuminance requirement of 200 lx, but glare occurs in RoomCW with a mean New Daylight Glare Index (DGIN) of 24.1, compared to 9.6 in RoomSW. Questionnaire results indicate greater satisfaction with the luminous environment in RoomSW relative to RoomCW, with scores of +1.4 and +0.2, respectively. Full article
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