Innovative Strategies for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Warm Climates

Dear Colleagues,

According to multiple international agencies, cities located in regions with warm and tropical climates will experience the highest energy demands in the next 30 years. This is a product of the population increases, lack of urban planning, and effects of climate change that are already visible in these areas, with historical temperature limits being exceeded in many of these locations. Furthermore, the presence of heat waves in hot and tropical regions has adverse effects on health, academic and work performance, and wellbeing among inhabitants and also causes an increase in energy consumption. In this context, it is essential that we develop and apply strategies that promote public policies orientated toward comfort, building envelope design, urban design, HVAC efficient systems, and sustainable energy distribution. Furthermore, it is necessary to adapt innovative strategies and technologies that allow the correct use and adequate incorporation of conventional and non-conventional energy sources in buildings and cities, thus guaranteeing population wellbeing and environmental sustainability in current and future urban areas.

This Special Issue will compile current ideas and trends regarding the sustainable design, use, and implementation of energy technologies in cities with warm climates. This will involve a wide range of study areas, integrating geographic information systems, artificial intelligence, data mining, computational simulation, and mathematical modeling to address the current needs for efficient building design, heat island studies, energy poverty mitigation, intelligent electrical distribution, electromobility, and the integration of energy technologies. It is crucial for the future of these climate regions that we develop specific solutions addressing the unique challenges that they face, such as managing extreme heat, optimizing energy consumption in urban infrastructure, and implementing sustainable cooling and air conditioning systems. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation, policies and projects can be designed to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and promote more resilient and energy-efficient urban developments. For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Indoor and outdoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency studies;
• Urban impacts related to climate change and heat islands;
• Energy resilience and renewable energies for hot climate conditions;
• Internet of Things and artificial intelligence for decarbonization;
• Sustainable electrical grids;
• Energy poverty issues;
• Local or regional materials in building design or construction;
• Building simulations to achieve energy efficiency;
• Regional adaptative thermal or hygrothermal comfort models;
• Innovative passive systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. May Tzuc Oscar
Dr. Mario Antonio Jiménez Torres
Guest Editors

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• net-zero buildings
• renewable energy
• energy efficiency
• energy optimization
• urban climate
• machine learning for energy
• energy resilience
• sustainable grids
• climate change