Towards Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings in Mediterranean and Latin American Countries

Dear Colleagues,

The building sector is responsible for 40% of the energy consumption and 36% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. Thus, the European Union has established increasing energy savings and efficiency in this sector as a priority through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which has been implemented in the different Member States. The EPBD 2010 defined nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) as buildings with very high energy performance, whose low amount of required energy is derived mainly from renewable energy sources. The EPBD 2018 aims to achieve a highly energy-efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050. In addition, taking into account the high degree of ageing of the existing building stock, the energy renovation of buildings is fundamental for achieving this objective.

This Topic focuses on the achievement of NZEBs in the Member States of the European Union in the Mediterranean. The implications and experiences of implementing the EPBD in these countries can serve as a reference to achieve NZEBs and improve the energy savings and efficiency in the building sector in other countries outside the European Union both in the Mediterranean and Latin America. The main objective of this Topic is to publish the latest research on how to achieve NZEBs in Mediterranean and Latin American countries through energy renovation or new construction and establish the minimum necessary requirements and on what the energy, environmental and economic impacts these actions will have on the building sector. Therefore, this Topic will cover but is not limited to the following topics: definition of NZEBs, improvements in the thermal building regulations, analysis of the building sector and future projections, application of cost-optimal methodologies for the design of renovated and new buildings, energy performance certificates of buildings, energy renovation of buildings, and use of renewable energy sources in buildings.

Prof. Dr. Luis M. López-Ochoa
Prof. Dr. Jesús Las-Heras-Casas
Dr. Nuno M. M. Ramos
Topic Editors