Modeling and Simulation of Building Energy System

Dear Colleagues,

As climate change mitigation and sustainable development become increasingly critical global challenges, improving building energy efficiency and sustainability has emerged as a key research focus in the fields of architecture and construction. The building sector accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, enhancing building energy efficiency and promoting sustainability can play a vital role in environmental protection, economic advancement, and improving the quality of life for occupants.

This Special Issue highlights strategies for improving energy efficiency and innovative technologies for sustainable buildings and we encourage researchers from diverse disciplines to collaborate, propose new ideas, and contribute to the development of practical solutions.

The Special Issue covers, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• High-efficiency building envelope systems
  • Smart window and wall systems;
  • Adaptive facade technologies;
  • Natural ventilation and daylighting control systems.
• Renewable Energy Integration
  • Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems;
  • Geothermal and air-source heat utilization technologies;
  • Microgrids and energy storage systems.
• Smart Building Technologies
  • IoT-based building energy management systems (BEMSs);
  • Energy optimization using artificial intelligence and machine learning;
  • User behavior analysis and prediction models.
• Energy-Efficient Building Materials:
  • Thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs);
  • High-insulation and low-carbon building materials;
  • Bio-based and recycled building materials.
• Net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) Implementation Technologies
  • Passive design strategies and optimization;
  • Active system integration and control;
  • ZEB performance evaluation and certification methodologies.
• Green Remodeling and Energy Efficiency Improvements
  • Energy performance improvement strategies for existing buildings;
  • Cost-effective retrofit technologies;
  • Energy efficiency enhancement for historic buildings.
• Urban-Scale Energy Efficiency
  • District energy networks and combined heat and power;
  • Building energy management in connection with smart cities;
  • Energy efficiency strategies for urban heat island mitigation.
• Building Energy Performance Simulation and Optimization
  • Advanced simulation tools and methodologies;
  • Multi-objective optimization algorithm development;
  • Building lifecycle energy analysis.
• Energy Efficiency Policies and Standardization
  • Analysis and proposals for building energy efficiency policies;
  • Development of international energy efficiency standards and certification systems;
  • Economic evaluation and incentive schemes.
• User-Centric Energy Saving Technologies
  • Interface design to induce behavior change;
  • Energy use visualization and feedback systems;
  • Personalized energy management solutions.
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Applications
  • Energy consumption prediction and anomaly detection;
  • HVAC system optimization through reinforcement learning;
  • Deep learning-based building energy modeling.
• Virtual Sensor Technologies
  • The development and application of data-driven virtual sensors;
  • Advanced energy monitoring through sensor fusion technologies;
  • Cost-effective energy management strategies using virtual sensors.
• Digital Twin Technologies
  • Digital twin implementation for building energy systems;
  • Real-time monitoring and prediction-based energy optimization;
  • Building energy performance improvement using digital twins.
• Circular Economy and Energy Efficiency
  • Energy-efficient material selection and recycling;
  • Energy-efficient design considering disassembly and reuse;
  • Lifecycle management of building energy systems.
• Harmonization of Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Efficiency
  • Integrated approach to energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvement;
  • Energy-efficient lighting and acoustic design;
  • Energy management strategies considering occupant health and well-being.

We invite a diverse range of submissions, including theoretical research, experimental studies, case studies, and policy analyses. This Special Issue emphasizes innovative approaches achieved through interdisciplinary collaboration and research offering practical, actionable solutions. We look forward to sharing your valuable research findings through this Special Issue and advancing building energy efficiency to support a sustainable future.

Dr. Sung Lok Do
Guest Editor

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.

• building energy efficiency
• renewable energy integration
• smart building technologies
• net zero energy buildings (ZEBs)
• artificial intelligence in energy management