Thermal Comfort, Environment Quality and Energy Consumption—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The built environment plays a pivotal role in shaping the well-being of its occupants across three crucial factors—thermal comfort, environmental quality, and energy consumption—and  their delicate interplay. Achieving an optimal balance of these elements is essential for creating sustainable and occupant-friendly buildings. Building upon the success of our first edition, this second Special Issue of Energies explores emerging technologies and methodologies that are transforming how we achieve optimal balance among these elements toward creating sustainable and occupant-centric buildings.

Designing buildings that simultaneously prioritize thermal comfort, environmental quality, and energy efficiency requires an integrated approach and the challenges that stand in the way of these objectives include finding synergies between seemingly conflicting goals, addressing climate variations, and adapting to evolving technological solutions. Sustainable design practices, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy sources are crucial in terms of minimizing a building's ecological footprint and smart building technologies, including energy management systems and advanced HVAC solutions, play a vital role in optimizing energy consumption while maintaining comfort and environmental quality.

The ongoing pursuit of net-zero-energy buildings and the 2024 recast of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive underscore the industry's commitment to creating environmentally responsible spaces that prioritize both sustainability and occupant well-being. Emerging applications of digital twin technology for thermal comfort monitoring and the integration of biophilic design elements represent promising frontiers for creating healthier, more productive indoor environments.

In conclusion, the intricate relationship between environmental quality and energy consumption necessitates a holistic approach to building design and operation. Striking the right balance is crucial for occupant satisfaction and fostering sustainability in the face of growing environmental challenges. As technology advances and awareness of these factors increases, the construction industry is poised to lead the way in creating energy-efficient buildings that are conducive to the well-being of their occupants.

This Special Issue is dedicated to original research and review articles focusing on thermal comfort, environmental quality, and energy-efficient building design. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Advanced Technologies and Systems:
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for HVAC optimization;
  • Digital twin technologies for building performance monitoring and thermal comfort assessment;
  • IoT-enabled sensor networks and predictive maintenance systems;
  • Model predictive control and adaptive building systems.
• Post-Pandemic Indoor Environment:
  • Enhanced ventilation strategies and indoor air quality management;
  • Hybrid work environment considerations and occupant behaviour changes;
  • Health-centred design approaches and wellness-focused buildings;
  • Human responses to environmental conditioning systems and post-pandemic behavioural changes.
• Traditional and Emerging Approaches:
  • Effective design and control of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;
  • Advanced HVAC systems and heat recovery technologies;
  • Active and passive solutions for improving environment quality;
  • Occupant-centric approaches in building performance (including PECS);
  • Climate change adaptation and resilience in building design;
  • Circular economy principles and building material reuse strategies.

Dr. Jan Kaczmarczyk
Dr. Asit Kumar Mishra
Dr. Aleksandra Lipczyńska
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. Energies 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.

• thermal comfort
• indoor environment quality
• building energy use
• occupant well-being
• task performance
• artificial intelligence
• digital twins
• post-COVID ventilation
• smart building technologies
• predictive control
• human–building interaction

• Thermal Comfort, Environment Quality and Energy Consumption in Energies (7 articles)