Sustainable Buildings for Low-Carbon Future: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Integration
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 60
Special Issue Editor
Interests: advanced and sustainable materials; active-building envelope systems and control; whole-building performance optimization; building integrated renewable energy and thermal storage; net-zero building; urban physics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The building sector plays a pivotal role in the global transition toward low-carbon and climate-resilient development. With buildings accounting for a substantial share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, advancing energy efficiency while integrating renewable energy systems has become a critical priority. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and practical solutions that address the dual challenge of reducing energy demand and enhancing on-site and grid-connected renewable energy utilization in buildings. We welcome contributions that explore novel design strategies, advanced materials, and high-performance systems that improve building energy efficiency across different climates and building typologies. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, geothermal systems, and hybrid solutions. Topics may also include energy storage, smart controls, demand-side management, and grid-interactive efficient buildings.
This Special Issue aims to disseminate advanced knowledge and support the development of next-generation sustainable buildings that are energy-efficient, resilient, and capable of contributing to a decarbonized energy future.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:
- Energy-efficient high-performance building envelope design and retrofit strategies;
- Integration of renewable energy systems in buildings (PV, solar thermal, geothermal);
- Heat pumps and hybrid HVAC systems for low-carbon buildings;
- Energy storage technologies and applications in buildings;
- Smart building controls and energy management systems;
- Grid-interactive efficient buildings and demand response;
- Net-zero and positive-energy buildings;
- Building energy modeling and simulation techniques;
- Indoor environmental quality and energy-performance trade-offs;
- Advanced materials for energy efficiency (e.g., phase-change materials, aerogels);
- Energy-focused lifecycle assessment and techno‑economic analysis;
- Climate-responsive design and resilience strategies with emphasis on energy performance.
Dr. Fitsum Tariku
Guest Editor
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
- energy efficiency
- renewable energy integration
- sustainable buildings
- net-zero energy
- heat pumps
- building energy modeling
- smart energy systems
- active building envelope
- smart materials
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