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Advancing Energy-Efficient Buildings for Net-Zero Carbon Emission Goals

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2656

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Construction Process Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
2. Department of Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation, Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Systems, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine
Interests: thermal engineering; energy engineering; renewable energy technologies

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Guest Editor
1. Heat, Gas Supply and Ventilation Department, Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Systems, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine
2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Interests: natural ventilation; air quality monitoring; energy-saving technologies in residential complexes; renewable energy technologies

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Guest Editor
Institute of Architectural Engineering, Technical University of Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
Interests: water recycling; water-energy nexus; green infrastructures; rain water harvesting; grey water

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As we work towards ambitious net-zero carbon goals, energy efficiency in buildings remains a crucial pillar in our efforts to mitigate climate change, and recent advancements in sustainable building materials, insulation techniques, and energy management systems are paving the way toward more efficient, resilient, and environmentally friendly structures. This Special Issue seeks to gather groundbreaking research on innovative practices and technological solutions that support these objectives, encouraging transformative approaches in the construction and renovation of energy-efficient buildings.

Energy optimization in buildings requires a comprehensive approach that integrates efficient systems with structural solutions to minimize energy consumption and emissions. This includes the development of advanced insulation materials, passive heating and cooling techniques, and highly efficient ventilation systems. Furthermore, effective building envelope design and the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are essential to achieving net-zero status. At the core of these efforts is the ability to analyze and optimize building energy use through rigorous data collection and measurement techniques, ensuring that systems operate with minimal energy waste.

A key challenge is ensuring that these advancements remain both scalable and accessible, providing solutions that are feasible for various building types and climates. Therefore, contributions that emphasize cost-effectiveness, practicality, and ease of implementation are of great interest. We welcome studies that demonstrate substantial energy savings and emissions reductions in real-world applications, as well as research exploring the integration of renewable energy with conventional building systems. Solutions for enhanced energy storage, grid-interactive buildings, and low-impact, sustainable construction materials are also of high relevance.

This Special Issue aims to create a platform for knowledge sharing, promoting strategies and techniques that advance the built environment’s sustainability. We invite researchers and practitioners alike to share their insights on technologies and methods that contribute to energy-efficient and low-carbon buildings. We also encourage submissions that provide comprehensive reviews of recent advancements in energy efficiency for the building sector.

We look forward to your valuable contributions, helping us build a sustainable, net-zero future in the construction and building sectors.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  1. Innovative building materials for enhanced energy efficiency;
  2. Passive heating, cooling, and ventilation systems;
  3. Renewable energy integration in building design;
  4. Advanced insulation technologies for thermal efficiency;
  5. Low-carbon construction practices and sustainable materials;
  6. The optimization of HVAC systems for reduced emissions;
  7. Energy performance monitoring and management tools;
  8. Retrofitting techniques for improved energy performance in existing buildings;
  9. Smart grids and demand response strategies for buildings;
  10. Lifecycle assessment of buildings for carbon footprint reduction;
  11. Policies and regulations for achieving net-zero buildings;
  12. Case studies on energy-positive and zero-energy buildings;
  13. AI-driven technology in energy efficiency.

Prof. Dr. Vasyl Zhelykh
Dr. Khrystyna Myroniuk
Prof. Dr. Zuzana Vranayova
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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-efficient buildings
  • net-zero emissions
  • sustainable construction
  • building energy optimization
  • renewable energy integration
  • passive heating and cooling
  • low-carbon architecture
  • green building technologies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1759 KiB  
Article
A Practical Framework for the Design of Low-Carbon and Circular Building Structures
by Kaveh Andisheh, Amir ShahMohammadi and Troy Coyle
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5337; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125337 - 9 Jun 2025
Viewed by 406
Abstract
The construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of annual global carbon emissions. This includes approximately 28% from operational carbon, 23% from transportation, and 11% from building and infrastructure materials. Following a review of the literature and a survey, a Low-Carbon Circular Design [...] Read more.
The construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of annual global carbon emissions. This includes approximately 28% from operational carbon, 23% from transportation, and 11% from building and infrastructure materials. Following a review of the literature and a survey, a Low-Carbon Circular Design Framework was developed. The Framework was piloted to develop specific design guidance for low-rise steel, steel–concrete, and steel–timber hybrid structures. The specific guidance is targeted at industry experts, researchers, and building designers. Additionally, a Low-carbon Circular Design Hierarchy and associated flowchart was proposed. The effectiveness of the Framework, specific guidance, and proposed design flowchart was evaluated through a real-world case study involving a three-story commercial building typical of this typology in Aotearoa New Zealand. The results demonstrated that a 57% reduction in carbon using the proposed hierarchy is readily achievable within the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Full article
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28 pages, 9510 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic Optimization of Building HVAC Systems Through Dynamic Modeling and Advanced Machine Learning
by Samuel Moveh, Emmanuel Alejandro Merchán-Cruz, Ahmed Osman Ibrahim, Zeinab Abdallah Mohammed Elhassan, Nada Mohamed Ramadan Abdelhai and Mona Dafalla Abdelrazig
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1955; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051955 - 25 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1938
Abstract
This study enhances thermodynamic efficiency and demand response in an office building’s HVAC system using machine learning (ML) and model predictive control (MPC). This study, conducted in a simulated EnergyPlus 8.9 environment integrated with MATLAB (R2023a, 9.14), focuses on optimizing the HVAC system [...] Read more.
This study enhances thermodynamic efficiency and demand response in an office building’s HVAC system using machine learning (ML) and model predictive control (MPC). This study, conducted in a simulated EnergyPlus 8.9 environment integrated with MATLAB (R2023a, 9.14), focuses on optimizing the HVAC system of an office building in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Support vector regression (SVR) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) were selected for their regression accuracy and adaptability in dynamic environments, with exergy destruction analysis used to assess thermodynamic efficiency. The models, integrated with MPC, aimed to reduce exergy destruction and improve demand response. Simulations evaluated room temperature prediction, HVAC energy optimization, and energy cost reduction. The DRL model showed superior prediction accuracy, reducing energy costs by 21.75% while keeping indoor temperature increase minimal at 0.12 K. This simulation-based approach demonstrates the potential of combining ML and MPC to optimize HVAC energy use and support demand response programs effectively. Full article
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