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Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2025) | Viewed by 7557

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tianyi Zhao

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Guest Editor

Institute of Building Energy, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
Interests: zero-carbon buildings; building automation and control systems; building energy conservation; digital twin; big data analysis

Dr. Jiaming Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Building Energy, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
Interests: building energy conservation; optimal control of HVAC system; swarm intelligent control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings”. Green buildings, which are able to utilize renewable energy sources to conserve energy and reduce emissions, have gradually become the trend of modern buildings due to their sustainable development characteristics. Recently, many advanced techniques of energy efficiency and conservation in green buildings have arisen, such as photovoltaic, energy storage, direct current and flexibility (PEDF) techniques, natural ventilation, optimal control techniques, etc. These design, optimization and control techniques are critical to the thermal comfort and energy efficiency of green buildings.

This Special Issue will deal with novel design, optimization and control techniques for green buildings. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

Design and optimization of green buildings;
Optimal control techniques of green buildings;
Photovoltaic systems;
Energy storage systems;
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;
Energy management systems;
Natural ventilation techniques;
Full life cycle economic analysis;
Optimal operation of renewable energy;
Application of artificial intelligence for green buildings.

Dr. Tianyi Zhao
Dr. Jiaming Wang
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.

Keywords

green buildings
zero-carbon buildings
building energy conservation
energy efficiency
control methods
renewable energy
artificial intelligence
optimization techniques
PEDF

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parametric Building Envelopes Rationalized in Terms of Their Solar Performance in a Temperate Climate

by Jacek Abramczyk and Wiesław Bielak

Energies 2025, 18(10), 2479; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18102479 - 12 May 2025

Viewed by 222

Abstract

The article presents a method of shaping unconventional building envelopes characterized by their effective solar performance in a temperate climate. An analysis related to the impact of geometric shape on the solar direct radiation falling on building envelopes was presented in terms of polyhedral forms. It was based on interdisciplinary issues located in the fields of solar radiation, unconventional forms of buildings, numerical simulations, and artificial neural networks. The elaborated method’s algorithm was employed to describe the relationships between the envelope systems and the amount of the radiation falling on these systems, identified during the performed simulations. Two novel parametric models were defined to execute the simulations. The first was an initial geometric model defined by a number of arbitrary independent variables. The second was defined by one dependent variable representing the quantity of the solar radiation falling on each envelope. The analysis carried out showed that the invented trapezoidal forms of envelopes allowed for better control of the incident solar radiation in relation to the forms generated with other methods. The invented trapezoidal forms of envelopes can increase the amount of their direct solar irradiation up to 63%, compared to prior pyramidal forms. Although the climatic loads used were related to Strzyżów characterized by the geographical coordinates 49.9 N and 21.9 E and located in Central Europe, it was possible to adapt the method to other meteorological boundary conditions by changing the values of the defined parameters. The resultant parametric solar model can be employed to search for many diversified discrete solar envelopes of buildings and rational arrangements of their external planes so that the direct solar radiation falling on these envelopes can be increased during cold periods and restricted during hot summer periods of the year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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18 pages, 3951 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modern Energy Sources for Sustainable Buildings: Innovations and Energy Efficiency in Green Construction

by Krzysztof Lewandowski

Energies 2025, 18(5), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18051121 - 25 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1242

Abstract

Faced with increasing challenges related to energy efficiency and sustainable development, green buildings play a pivotal role in reducing energy consumption and lowering carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. This article reviews modern energy sources, including renewable systems such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and their applications in green construction. This literature review synthesizes the latest research and trends, focusing on the efficiency and reliability of these technologies. Furthermore, this study examines innovative energy management methods, such as smart grids (SGs) and energy storage solutions (ESSs), that support the development of sustainable buildings. The findings highlight the significant potential of modern energy sources to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. Additionally, this study addresses the challenges associated with implementing these technologies and the necessity of integrating renewable solutions into large-scale energy management systems. The final conclusions emphasize future directions in green construction, underscoring the importance of innovation and cross-sector collaboration to achieve a sustainable future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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11 pages, 3539 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Lighting Energy Savings by Applying a Daylight-Concentrating Indoor Louver System with LED Dimming Control

by June Hae Lee and Jae-Sik Kang

Energies 2024, 17(14), 3425; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17143425 - 11 Jul 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1201

Abstract

This study analyzed the effect of indoor lighting energy reduction using a daylight-concentrating indoor louver system, which is a renewable energy equipment item. Daylight-concentrating indoor louver systems enhance indoor lighting by directing natural light, entering through windows, into the room via louvers. This study demonstrates significant lighting energy savings through the use of LED-linked dimming control, particularly during the transitional season, achieving an 85.65% reduction in power consumption. In contrast, the winter season showed higher cumulative power consumption due to reduced natural light availability, with a three-day average consumption of 1128.22 W compared to 836.60 W in the transitional season, representing a 25.85% increase. The illuminance distribution analysis revealed that, while winter had higher illuminance at 1 m from the window, the transitional season recorded higher values at 3 m and 5 m, indicating more effective natural light penetration. The solar altitude during the transitional season facilitated even light distribution through daylighting louvers. These findings confirm the substantial energy savings and improved illuminance distribution achieved with daylighting louvers and LED dimming control, with notable efficiency during the transitional season. Consequently, daylight-concentrating indoor louvers are confirmed to be effective in reducing indoor electric lighting energy consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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56 pages, 12342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relative Comparison of Benefits of Floor Slab Insulation Methods, Using Polyiso and Extruded Polystyrene Materials in South Africa, Subject to the New National Building Energy Efficiency Standards

by Emmanuel Kabundu, Sijekula Mbanga, Brink Botha and Emma Ayesu-Koranteng

Energies 2024, 17(2), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020539 - 22 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1795

Abstract

This article aims to assess the benefits of floor slab insulation measures using extruded polystyrene (XPS) and polyisocyanurate (also referred to as polyiso or PIR) insulation materials at various levels of insulation thicknesses for a detached residential building. An EnergyPlus simulation analysis was carried out within the seven energy zones (represented by eight locations) of South Africa in accordance with the South African national code for building energy efficiency (SANS10400-XA). The energy savings and payback periods related to the use of the insulation over a lifecycle period of 50 years were assessed. Cape Town (zone 4) behaved differently from other locations and hardly benefited from the application of floor slab insulation measures. Generally, polyiso (PIR) insulation performed better than XPS for vertical gap insulation, and lower insulation thicknesses required higher insulation depths to maximize energy savings. Similarly, lower insulation thicknesses (25 mm and 50 mm) required higher perimeter insulation widths to maximize energy savings for horizontal perimeter insulation, especially in Sutherland (zone 6) and Cape Town. The maximization of energy savings was also achieved at low insulation thickness for the full floor slab insulation method, except for Sutherland and Fraserburg (zone 7). The locations that benefitted most from the floor slab insulation methods were Pretoria (zone 5), Thohoyandou (zone 3), Sutherland (zone 6), Fraserburg (zone 7), Welkom (zone 1), Ixopo (zone 5H), Witbank (zone 2), and Cape Town (zone 4), in that order. Generally, higher net energy savings are achieved in areas with lower humidity levels and areas with greater annual sums of both cooling and heating degree days. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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21 pages, 11373 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photovoltaic Thermal Heat Pump Assessment for Power and Domestic Hot Water Generation

by Chao Zhou, Ahmad Riaz, Jingjing Wang, Jili Zhang and Lin Xu

Energies 2023, 16(19), 6984; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196984 - 7 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1866

Abstract

The efficient utilization of solar energy significantly contributes to energy efficiency in buildings. Solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) heat pumps, a hybrid of photovoltaic and solar-assisted heat pumps, have demonstrated a significant development trend due to their multi-generational capacity for heating, power, and cooling with reliable operational performance. This research work presents and investigates a single-stage compression PVT heat pump system, along with the operation principle of the system’s heating and power co-generation throughout the winter and transitional season. The construction of the testing facility, data reduction, error analysis, and performance evaluation indices of the system are all explained theoretically. A continuous experiment research project focusing on system heating and power performance was carried out in Dalian during the transition season (November in this study) and winter season (December in this study) as part of our investigation into the potential uses for space heating, residential hot water, and power supply in northern China. The findings of the experimental research demonstrate that the proposed system can generate electricity and heat at high efficiency during the winter and transitional seasons, with long-term stable performance. The system’s average heating COP_t is 5 during the transitional season and 4.4 during the winter season. Meanwhile, the average photovoltaic power efficiency under both weather conditions is 11.9% and 10.2%, with a peak value of 15.7% and 12.0%, respectively. Additionally, the system compression ratio’s variation range is 2 to 3.88, which is lower than the standard heat pump system. As a result, the entire system heating operating process remains constant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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Review

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15 pages, 1191 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

A Review of the Evaluation, Simulation, and Control of the Air Conditioning System in a Nuclear Power Plant

by Seyed Majid Bigonah Ghalehsari, Jiaming Wang and Tianyi Zhao

Energies 2025, 18(7), 1719; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18071719 - 29 Mar 2025

Viewed by 274

Abstract

This review paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of the evaluation, simulation, and control of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in nuclear power plants (NPPs), specifically highlighting their importance in maintaining operational safety, thermal performance, and energy efficiency. The study’s authors summarize recent developments in HVAC technologies, such as passive cooling systems, data-driven energy management frameworks, and intelligent control strategies, to cope with the specific challenges of NPPs. Various passive cooling systems, including heat pipes, thermosyphons, and loop heat pipes, have proven themselves by their ability to remove residual heat from spent fuel pools and reactors power plants with high efficiency. Through experimental studies, they have shown their ability to eliminate operational vulnerability to accidents or guarantee any desired long-term cooling. Intelligent sensor networks allow a more data-driven approach to HVAC control, enabling online energy management frameworks and advanced intelligent control systems. These exhibit considerable promise for optimizing HVAC performance, decreasing energy consumption, and improving operational flexibility in multi-zone systems. Such capabilities are ideal for addressing the dynamic and safety-critical nature of NPPs. They are first enabled by the use of these technologies for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and adaptive control. When applied with advanced HVAC control systems, passive cooling techniques provide an exciting route to improve safety and energy efficiency. An overview of the key findings is that robust thermal management solutions combined with intelligent control and intelligent adaptation are essential when addressing the rapidly evolving demands of nuclear energy systems. This work highlights the priorities in the next generation of nuclear power plants, which should actively pursue seamless integration of out-of-system technologies into existing NPP infrastructures, enabling scalable, cost-effective, and resilient solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Efficiency and Conservation of Green Buildings)

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