Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.7
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Green Building Intelligence: Evaluating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solutions
sustainability-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Green Building Intelligence: Evaluating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solutions

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 1679

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Federico Minelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio, 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: sustainable building energy systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hasan Huseyin Coban

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bartin University, Bartin 74110, Turkey
Interests: renewable energy; energy economy; optimization; electric vehicles
Dr. Panagiotis Michailidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Center for Research and Technology Hellas, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace(DUTH), 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Interests: AI for energy systems; predictive control; energy forecasting; smart grids; microgrids; energy efficiency in buildings; energy management systems; adaptive control; internet of things; decarbonization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Achieving carbon neutrality in the built environment hinges on the integration of innovative renewable energy technologies and rigorous energy efficiency evaluations in green buildings. This special issue invites contributions that examine both the technological innovations and performance assessments necessary to optimize renewable energy systems in building design.

The focus of the issue is on the integration of renewable sources—such as solar, wind, bioenergy, and geothermal—directly into building infrastructure. Authors are encouraged to explore advanced applications, including building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), Net Zero Energy Buildings, and Zero Emission Buildings, along with pioneering solutions like agrivoltaics that combine solar energy production with agricultural land use. In addition to these system integrations, the issue will delve into the evaluation of hybrid systems that pair multiple renewable energy sources, smart energy management strategies leveraging AI and IoT, and the role of energy storage solutions in ensuring reliable and efficient energy supply.

Researchers and practitioners from various disciplines are invited to contribute work that spans practical applications, simulation-based assessments, and policy development. The aim is to provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating energy performance and technological advancements in renewable energy systems—from decentralized building-level applications to their integration with larger energy grids. This special issue seeks to drive the development of sustainable, energy-efficient urban environments and accelerate the transition toward a carbon-neutral future.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Building-Integrated Renewable Energy Systems: Incorporating solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, geothermal, and bioenergy solutions to achieve net-zero buildings.
  • Energy-Efficient Building Designs: Implementing strategies that reduce energy consumption while improving the integration of renewable resources.
  • Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems: Combining different technologies (e.g., solar with bioenergy or geothermal) for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
  • Smart Energy Management for Buildings: Leveraging AI, IoT, and digital tools to optimize both renewable energy generation and consumption at the building level.
  • Agrivoltaics: Merging solar energy production with agricultural practices to maximize land use and boost sustainability.
  • Renewable Energy for Urban Infrastructure: Integrating renewable sources into urban planning and smart city designs.
  • Scaling Renewable Energy from Buildings to the Grid: Developing methods to connect decentralized energy generation with large-scale grid systems.
  • Energy Storage Technologies: Advancing storage solutions such as batteries and thermal storage to ensure a reliable energy supply from intermittent sources.
  • Renewable Energy in Rural and Agricultural Contexts: Creating off-grid and small-scale solutions tailored to the needs of remote and farming communities.
  • Policy and Economic Models: Crafting frameworks and incentives to support both building-scale and large-scale deployment of renewable energy, including solar, wind, and hybrid systems.
  • Environmental and Life-Cycle Assessments: Evaluating the sustainability and carbon footprint of renewable energy systems across multiple scales.
  • Socio-Economic Impacts: Analyzing how renewable energy adoption affects community resilience, energy equity, and rural development.
  • Cross-Sectoral Applications: Integrating renewable energy into sectors like transportation, industry, and agriculture, in addition to buildings and cities.

This special issue invites interdisciplinary research that spans the entire spectrum of renewable energy deployment—from individual buildings to expansive energy networks—providing holistic and scalable strategies for achieving carbon neutrality.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Federico Minelli
Dr. Hasan Huseyin Coban
Dr. Panagiotis Michailidis
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

  • renewable energy systems
  • building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)
  • hybrid energy systems
  • energy storage technologies
  • agrivoltaics
  • smart energy management
  • carbon neutrality
  • net-zero energy buildings
  • grid integration
  • phase change materials
  • green buildings

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 4161 KB  
Article
From Structure to Social Fabric: Comparing Participatory and Conventional Residential Design in the Context of Social Sustainability
by Katarzyna Kołacz
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8456; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188456 - 20 Sep 2025
Viewed by 484
Abstract
This study investigates the role of residential architecture in fostering social interaction and strengthening residents’ identification with their living environment. It focuses on two key dimensions through which housing environments support social cohesion: the spatial dimension, referring to the physical design of buildings [...] Read more.
This study investigates the role of residential architecture in fostering social interaction and strengthening residents’ identification with their living environment. It focuses on two key dimensions through which housing environments support social cohesion: the spatial dimension, referring to the physical design of buildings and spaces, and the organizational dimension, which involves the engagement of prospective residents in planning, and in the co-creation and development of housing projects. Two dwelling-oriented projects located in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt district were selected as case studies: Wohnprojekt Wien and PaN-Wohnpark. Wohnprojekt Wien represents a fully participatory model, characterized by maximum resident involvement throughout all stages of the design process. In contrast, PaN-Wohnpark followed a more conventional approach, involving only limited resident participation in the form of post-occupancy consultations. This participation was limited to aspects of social life, community management, and integration, without influence on the architectural or spatial layout of the buildings. Both projects were evaluated using ten architectural and spatial criteria previously developed by the author to assess features that promote neighborly interaction. The evaluation was based on qualitative field research, including site visits and expert interviews The findings indicate that the participatory design approach implemented in Wohnprojekt Wien significantly contributed to stronger social ties and a heightened sense of community among residents. In contrast, in PaN-Wohnpark—where participation was limited and occurred only after completion—the impact on social cohesion was considerably less pronounced. These results suggest that integrating participatory design methods into residential development can substantially enhance social sustainability by fostering informal social interactions and strengthening residents’ sense of belonging. Importantly, the extent to which residents are empowered to influence decisions about their living environments appears to be a critical factor in achieving these outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Building Intelligence: Evaluating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 2663 KB  
Article
How Nanofluids May Enhance Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint in Buildings?
by Sylwia Wciślik
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 7035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157035 - 2 Aug 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 559
Abstract
Nanofluids are an innovative working medium in solar hot water installations (DHWs), thanks to their increased thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of Al2O3 nanofluids in a water–ethylene glycol base [...] Read more.
Nanofluids are an innovative working medium in solar hot water installations (DHWs), thanks to their increased thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of Al2O3 nanofluids in a water–ethylene glycol base (40:60%) and with the addition of Tween 80 surfactant (0.2 wt%) on thermal efficiency (ε) and exergy (ηex) in a plate heat exchanger at DHW flows of 3 and 12 L/min. The numerical NTU–ε model was used with dynamic updating of thermophysical properties of nanofluids and the solution of the ODE system using the ode45 method, and the validation was carried out against the literature data. The results showed that the nanofluids achieved ε ≈ 0.85 (vs. ε ≈ 0.87 for the base fluid) and ηex ≈ 0.72 (vs. ηex ≈ 0.74), with higher entropy generation. The addition of Tween 80 reduced the viscosity by about 10–15%, resulting in a slight increase of Re and h-factor; however, the impact on ε and ηex was marginal. The environmental analysis with an annual demand of Q = 3000 kWh/year and an emission factor of 0.2 kg CO2/kWh showed that for ε < 0.87 the nanofluids increased the emissions by ≈16 kg CO2/year, while at ε ≈ 0.92, a reduction of ≈5% was possible. This paper highlights the need to optimize nanofluid viscosity and exchanger geometry to maximize energy and environmental benefits. Nowadays, due to the growing problems of global warming, the analysis of energy efficiency and carbon footprint related to the functioning of a building seems to be crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Building Intelligence: Evaluating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop