Building Energy Efficiency Assessment and Retrofit Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings account for a substantial share of energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, placing them at the center of today’s energy and environmental challenges. As existing building stocks continue to age, the need for effective assessment methods and innovative retrofit technologies has become more critical than ever. Enhancing building energy efficiency is key not only to reducing environmental impacts but also to improving occupant comfort, resilience, and long-term economic performance.

This Special Issue, titled “Building Energy Efficiency Assessment and Retrofit Technologies”, will bring together the latest advances in assessment methodologies, performance evaluation, retrofit solutions, and implementation strategies that enable the transformation of existing buildings into more sustainable, energy-efficient, and low-carbon assets. We invite researchers and practitioners to contribute original research articles, case studies, and reviews that advance knowledge and practice in this critical field.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Methods and tools for building energy performance assessment and benchmarking;
• Building energy audits, diagnostics, and monitoring techniques;
• Simulation, modeling, and digital twin approaches for energy efficiency analysis.
• Retrofit technologies for building envelopes, HVAC systems, lighting, and controls;
• Integration of renewable energy systems in retrofit projects;
• Smart technologies, IoT, and AI-driven solutions for energy management in existing buildings;
• Cost-effectiveness, financing mechanisms, and life-cycle assessment of retrofits;
• Policies, standards, and frameworks supporting large-scale energy retrofitting;
• Occupant comfort, health, and behavioral considerations in retrofit design;
• Barriers, opportunities, and best practices in implementing retrofit strategies at scale.

Through this Special Issue, we will provide a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing success stories, and highlighting innovative pathways toward ensuring that existing building stock is sustainable. Both original research and comprehensive review articles are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Linyan Chen
Prof. Dr. Joseph H. K. Lai
Dr. Fan Zhang
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-anonymized 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.