Sustainable Energy in Buildings and Built Environments
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 155
Special Issue Editors
Interests: energy management; energy policy; energy in buildings; sustainability; construction management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: architectural technology; building energy modelling and simulation; digital built environment; digital design; building information modelling (BIM); circular economy
Interests: sustainable architecture; construction science; building energy performance; life cycle engineering; thermal and visual comfort
Interests: circular economy; digital twin; structural design optimisation; artificial intellifence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The built environment is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the urgent need to decarbonise energy systems, improve energy performance, and foster sustainable urban development. With buildings accounting for nearly 40% of global energy consumption and emissions, this Special Issue brings together interdisciplinary research that explores innovative strategies for enhancing energy sustainability in buildings and urban spaces.
This Special Issue welcomes contributions addressing sustainable energy from a range of perspectives, including building energy simulation, digital innovation, urban microclimates, circularity, and occupant-centric approaches. Of particular interest are studies that adopt integrated approaches combining technological, behavioral, and policy innovations to promote energy efficiency across the lifecycle of buildings, from design and construction to operation and retrofit. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to the following:
- Energy performance modelling and passive energy optimization strategies;
- Digital transformation tools such as BIM, digital twins, and AI-based decision support systems;
- Climate-responsive design and adaptation strategies including blue and green infrastructure;
- Occupant behavior modelling and human-centered energy solutions;
- Life-cycle assessment, embodied carbon, and circular economy practices in buildings;
- Urban-scale energy planning and Positive Energy Districts (PED);
- Reuse of materials and low-carbon structural solutions;
- Data-driven methods for reducing the energy performance gap.
By bridging knowledge from civil engineering, architecture, environmental design, and computer science, this Special Issue will showcase scalable solutions that support the transition to net-zero energy buildings and resilient cities. We encourage researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to contribute their findings, methodologies, and case studies that can inform future energy strategies in the built environment. This Issue aims to provide a platform for cutting-edge discussions that inform both policy and practice toward a smart, sustainable, and occupant-aware built environment.
Dr. Amirhossein Balali
Dr. Elham Delzendeh
Dr. Nazanin Moazzen
Dr. Soheila Kookalani
Dr. Petros Ampatzidis
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- building energy
- sustainability
- BIM
- passive design
- circular economy
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