Advanced Material and Energy Challenges for Buildings

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue advances innovative strategies to mitigate climate-change impacts and to accelerate credible pathways toward nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) and resilient urban districts. Contributions discussing the following themes are welcome for submission: (i) non-destructive, in-situ thermal characterization of building envelopes; (ii) nature-based solutions for buildings; and (iii) evidence-based strategies for the energy retrofit of existing and heritage built stock. Particular emphasis is placed on studies that connect laboratory innovation with verified field performance across scales, ranging from materials and components to buildings and districts, under real microclimatic stressors. Studies that rigorously quantify uncertainty and translate findings into actionable mitigation interventions (for contemporary cities and historic contexts) are particularly appreciated.

Submissions are invited that address one or more of the following themes:

• Novel sustainable materials, such as bio-based composites, aerogels, phase‑change-enhanced matrices, radiative or reflective coatings, and hygroscopic or moisture‑buffering composites.
• Nature-based solutions with measured thermal and energy performance and co-benefits for urban microclimate.
• Non-destructive/in‑situ thermal characterization (steady and dynamic).
• Building energy modeling, with calibration and validation of dynamic building simulations using monitored boundary conditions.
• Retrofit strategies for near‑zero/positive‑energy buildings.
• Resilience to extreme heat and UHI: adaptive thermal comfort, passive cooling, and mitigation strategies at building‑to‑urban scales.
• Performance in Mediterranean and other climate zones, with attention to seasonal variability and occupant‑building interactions.

The Special Issue welcomes original research, methods articles, short communications, comprehensive reviews, and perspective pieces that articulate emerging challenges, research gaps, and standardized protocols for the community. By convening material scientists, building physicists, urban climate researchers, and practitioners, we aim to chart a credible pathway from advanced materials to scalable, resilient, and low-carbon buildings.

Dr. Luca Evangelisti
Dr. Edoardo De Cristo
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.