energies-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Innovative Bio-Based Construction Strategies for Near-Zero Energy Buildings with Low Carbon Footprints

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2026 | Viewed by 682

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang 310058, China
Interests: building materials; construction materials; sustainable building

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: sustainable city; low-carbon building; energy efficiency; thermal comfort; residential settlement; overheating; bio-based material; phase change material
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Under the goal of carbon neutrality and the low-carbon development of the building industry internationally, bio-based building materials have become a low-cost path to achieving near-zero energy and net-zero energy of the whole life cycle of buildings with low carbon emissions. This Special Issue focuses on bio-based building materials and the agricultural waste-derived materials to explore their synergistic mechanisms with passive design and renewable energy systems, aiming to build a sustainable architectural pattern. The outcomes of this issue will provide low-cost technical paths for green buildings in developing countries especially and promote the building of an industrial chain for the resource utilisation of bio-based materials and agricultural waste.

Dr. Xunzhi Yin
Prof. Dr. Haibo Guo
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-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.

Keywords

  • bio-based building materials
  • straw-based building
  • low-cost
  • near-zero and zero energy building
  • passive low-energy design

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

25 pages, 5825 KB  
Review
Incorporation of Bio-Based Infills into Hollow Building Blocks: A Comprehensive Review
by Nadezhda Bondareva, Igor Miroshnichenko, Victoria Simonova and Mikhail Sheremet
Energies 2026, 19(8), 1965; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19081965 - 18 Apr 2026
Viewed by 302
Abstract
The construction sector remains a major contributor to global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Heat loss through building envelopes plays a key role, especially in regions with long heating seasons. Hollow building blocks are widely used due to their low cost and [...] Read more.
The construction sector remains a major contributor to global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Heat loss through building envelopes plays a key role, especially in regions with long heating seasons. Hollow building blocks are widely used due to their low cost and structural simplicity, but their inadequate thermal insulation requires additional layers of insulation, increasing costs and complicating installation. The production of cement and traditional insulation materials is associated with a high carbon footprint and disposal issues, which conflict with sustainable development principles and decarbonization goals. In contrast to previous reviews that primarily address bio-based insulation in general building envelopes or focus on bioaggregates in concrete mixes, this paper specifically targets the application of biomaterials in hollow building blocks. It emphasizes how bio-based loose-fill and bound fillers interact with the peculiar thermo-fluid behavior of hollow cavities, including natural convection, conduction and radiation. The effects on thermal performance (thermal conductivity, U-value of walls) are analyzed, along with selected aspects of mechanical strength and durability. Gaps in long-term data on biodegradation are identified. Recommendations for selecting strategies depending on climate and design are offered, as well as directions for future research, including numerical modeling of thermal conditions. The results highlight the potential of biomodified blocks for creating energy-efficient and environmentally friendly wall systems. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop