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Advanced Energy and Carbon Management for Net-Zero Buildings and Sustainable Cities

A Special Issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073) belonging to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 593

Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Architecture and Art, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: low-carbon sustainable human settlements and urban regeneration
College of Architecture and Art, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: green building design and theory; building energy-carbon dual-control theory, methods, and technologies; high-efficiency solar photovoltaic/thermal utilization and building-integrated systems; urban thermal environment and microclimate; building complex environment design and evaluation

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Guest Editor
College of Architecture and Art, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: building integrated photovoltaics/thermal (BIPVT); building energy-saving technology; comprehensive utilization of solar photovoltaic and thermal energy; solar heat pump technology; dynamic regulation of building source-load matching; spectral adaptive regulation of energy systems

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Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: green buildings; building and energy; solar energy; renewable energy sources; thermo-activated building system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building sector accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it a critical frontier in the transition toward carbon neutrality. As cities worldwide commit to net-zero targets by 2050 or earlier, the integration of advanced energy management strategies with innovative carbon reduction technologies in buildings has become increasingly urgent. The convergence of smart building systems, renewable energy integration, energy storage solutions, and carbon capture methodologies presents unprecedented opportunities to transform urban environments into sustainable, resilient ecosystems.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, engineers, and policymakers to share cutting-edge advancements in energy and carbon management technologies specifically tailored for net-zero buildings and sustainable urban development. We seek to bridge the gap between theoretical innovations and practical implementations, addressing the multifaceted challenges of decarbonizing the built environment while maintaining occupant comfort and operational efficiency.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

  • Low-carbon retrofitting and energy performance optimization of traditional vernacular buildings
  • Sustainable energy planning and carbon management strategies for historic villages and traditional settlements
  • Advanced HVAC systems and thermal energy storage for net-zero buildings
  • Building-integrated photovoltaics and renewable energy optimization
  • Smart grid integration and demand-side management in urban districts
  • Energy-efficient building envelopes and passive design strategies
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in building energy management
  • District heating/cooling systems and waste heat recovery
  • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in building applications
  • Policy frameworks, economic incentives, and social aspects of net-zero transitions
  • Case studies of successful net-zero building implementations and sustainable city planning

We invite original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications that advance the scientific understanding and practical deployment of energy and carbon management solutions. Submissions addressing interdisciplinary approaches combining architecture, engineering, environmental science, urban planning, and policy studies are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Wei Xuan
Dr. Yang Yang
Dr. Zhiying Song
Dr. Sarula Chen
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. 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
  • carbon management
  • building energy efficiency
  • sustainable urban regeneration
  • carbon management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 7919 KB  
Article
Life Cycle Environmental Impact Assessment of Roofing-Based Monocrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Systems
by Haowei Hu, Zihao Wang, Yong Yan, Feilong Zhao, Qin Li, Qinzhang Wang and Hao Wang
Energies 2026, 19(17), 4155; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19174155 - 3 Sep 2026
Viewed by 310
Abstract
This study conducted a cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment of a 1 kWp grid-connected building-applied monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic system installed on a public-building flat roof in Chizhou, Anhui Province, China. The assessment covered production, transport, 30-year operation and maintenance, and end-of-life recycling. ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint [...] Read more.
This study conducted a cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment of a 1 kWp grid-connected building-applied monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic system installed on a public-building flat roof in Chizhou, Anhui Province, China. The assessment covered production, transport, 30-year operation and maintenance, and end-of-life recycling. ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H), IPCC AR6 100-year global warming potential characterization, cumulative energy demand accounting, and Monte Carlo simulation were applied to quantify environmental impacts, energy demand, carbon emissions, and parameter uncertainty. The system is expected to deliver 34,822 kWh/kWp of electricity over its service life. Gross life-cycle carbon emissions and cumulative energy demand, excluding recycling credits, were 1194.08 kg CO2-Eq/kWp and 4290.30 kWh/kWp, respectively. End-of-life material recovery provided avoided burdens of 773.11 kg CO2-Eq/kWp and 2309.84 kWh/kWp, reducing the net results to 420.96 kg CO2-Eq/kWp and 1980.46 kWh/kWp. Accordingly, the gross and net life-cycle carbon emission intensities were 34.29 and 12.09 g CO2-Eq/kWh, respectively. The gross and net Energy Payback Periods were 3.42 and 1.58 years, while the corresponding carbon payback times were 1.67 and 0.59 years. Production was the principal source of environmental burdens, whereas recycling substantially improved the overall performance. Monte Carlo simulation indicated coefficients of variation of 3.59–5.28% for the assessed production-stage indicators. These findings highlight the importance of decarbonizing upstream electricity, reducing material burdens from aluminium, copper, and electronic components, and improving end-of-life recovery pathways. Full article
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