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Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 6450

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yuanda Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Building Environment and Energy Application Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Interests: building energy savings; building integrated photovoltaics; thermal comfort evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenzhuo Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London, London, UK
Interests: energy decarbonization; optimal control; edge computing and distributed systems; Internet of Things (IoT); machine learning and artificial intelligence
Dr. Zhipeng Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
Interests: air quality; building HVAC systems; occupant behavior; energy-efficient buildings; healthy buildings; smart buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The need for sustainable development has never been more urgent. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality, the built environment emerges as a critical focus area. Buildings account for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and a similar percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the role of energy efficiency in buildings is not just a matter of economic prudence; it is a cornerstone for achieving broader sustainability goals.

This Special Issue, titled "Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability" aims to serve as a high-impact platform for interdisciplinary research that bridges advanced energy systems, smart control technologies, and sustainability in the built environment. It aligns with the overarching mission of the journal Sustainability, which is to foster cross-disciplinary academic research and dialogue in the service of sustainable development. This Special Issue will focus on innovative modeling and simulation techniques that can help design, analyze, and control energy-efficient buildings, thereby contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

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

  1. Advanced Energy Systems: Exploration of cutting-edge energy systems like microgrids, renewable energy sources, and energy storage in the context of building applications;
  2. Smart Control Technologies: Investigation into intelligent control systems that optimize energy consumption, enhance occupant comfort, and contribute to grid stability;
  3. Building Information Modeling (BIM): Use of BIM for energy analysis, life cycle assessment, and real-time monitoring to improve building sustainability;
  4. Machine Learning and Data Analytics: Application of machine learning algorithms and big data analytics for predictive control and energy management in buildings;
  5. Life Cycle Assessment: Comprehensive studies that evaluate the environmental impact of building materials, construction processes, and operational efficiency;
  6. Policy and Regulation: Analysis of existing and proposed policies that influence building energy efficiency, including international treaties and national codes;
  7. Human–Building Interactions: Examination of how human behavior impacts energy consumption and how this can be modeled to improve building performance;
  8. Socio-Economic Factors: Consideration of the economic feasibility and social implications of implementing advanced energy and control systems in buildings;
  9. Case Studies: Detailed case studies that demonstrate the successful application of modeling and simulations in real-world building projects;
  10. Future Trends: Discussion on emerging technologies and methodologies that have the potential to revolutionize building energy efficiency and sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Yuanda Cheng
Dr. Wenzhuo Li
Dr. Zhipeng Deng
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

  • low-carbon technology in buildings
  • building simulation
  • advanced modeling approaches for building energy efficiency
  • advanced machine learning approaches for building energy efficiency
  • advanced optimization tools for building energy efficiency
  • life cycle assessment
  • building sustainability

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

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4854 KiB  
Article
Green Building Design and Sustainable Development Optimization Strategy Based on Evolutionary Game Theory Model
by Yujing Si, Yi Yang and Ze Shao
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062649 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
This study introduces an evolutionary game model to investigate the strategic interaction among government regulatory agencies, shopping center investors, and tenants in the global energy-saving renovation market. The focus is on three innovative aspects. Firstly, the model reveals that positive tenant behavior can [...] Read more.
This study introduces an evolutionary game model to investigate the strategic interaction among government regulatory agencies, shopping center investors, and tenants in the global energy-saving renovation market. The focus is on three innovative aspects. Firstly, the model reveals that positive tenant behavior can stimulate investors’ participation in energy-saving renovation projects by triggering potential market demand, thereby establishing a dynamic balance between supply and demand. This viewpoint has been previously overlooked in energy renovation research. Secondly, the model demonstrates the dynamic transformation of government regulatory strategies. In the early stages of market development, direct intervention through subsidies and penalties is crucial, and investors’ decisions are constrained by both returns and costs. When returns exceed the cost premium, investors actively participate, and policy incentives lower early cost barriers to promote market expansion. As the market matures, a transition toward policy guidance optimizes sustainable outcomes. Thirdly, extensive numerical simulations have confirmed the existence of multiple stable equilibrium states under different incentive and cost conditions, providing new evidence for the stability and adaptability of the energy-saving renovation market. These findings significantly advance the theoretical understanding of multi-stakeholder interactions in green building transformation and provide practical guidance for developing adaptive and effective policy frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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23 pages, 5618 KiB  
Article
Meteorological Data Processing Method for Energy-Saving Design of Intelligent Buildings Based on the Compressed Sensing Reconstruction Algorithm
by Jingjing Jia, Chulsoo Kim, Chunxiao Zhang, Mengmeng Han and Xiaoyun Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041469 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 605
Abstract
With the increasingly severe problems of global climate change and resource scarcity, sustainable development has become an important issue of common concern in various industries. The construction industry is one of the main sources of global energy consumption and carbon emissions, and sustainable [...] Read more.
With the increasingly severe problems of global climate change and resource scarcity, sustainable development has become an important issue of common concern in various industries. The construction industry is one of the main sources of global energy consumption and carbon emissions, and sustainable buildings are an effective way to address climate change and resource scarcity. Meteorological conditions are closely related to building energy efficiency. Therefore, the research is founded upon a substantial corpus of meteorological data, employing a compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm to supplement the absent meteorological data, and subsequently integrating an enhanced density peak clustering algorithm for data mining. Finally, an intelligent, sustainable, building energy-saving design platform is designed based on this. The research results show that in the case of random defects in monthly timed data that are difficult to repair, the reconstruction error of the compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm is only 0.0403, while the improved density peak clustering algorithm has the best accuracy in both synthetic and real datasets, with an average accuracy corresponding to 0.9745 and 0.8304. Finally, in the application of the intelligent, sustainable, building energy-saving design platform, various required information such as HVAC data energy-saving design parameters, cloud cover, and temperature radiation are intuitively and fully displayed. The above results indicate that the research method can effectively explore the potential valuable information of sustainable building energy-saving design, providing a reference for the design of sustainable buildings and climate analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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27 pages, 1566 KiB  
Article
Passive Buildings—Big Opportunities or Big Risks? Quantitative Risk Assessment for Passive Buildings Projects
by Maria Krechowicz and Adam Krechowicz
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4014; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104014 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1367
Abstract
The building sector contributes significantly to global final energy consumption and energy-related CO2 emissions. The demand for sustainable and energy-efficient passive buildings with a minimal ecological footprint has increased due to the global energy crisis, climate change, and environmental concerns. This need [...] Read more.
The building sector contributes significantly to global final energy consumption and energy-related CO2 emissions. The demand for sustainable and energy-efficient passive buildings with a minimal ecological footprint has increased due to the global energy crisis, climate change, and environmental concerns. This need can be met by constructing passive buildings. However, to develop a building that is truly passive, it is required to meet many passive house conditions, negligible for typical buildings, which increase the project complexity and pose challenges and risks threatening its successful completion. The aim of this work is to present the findings from a quantitative risk analysis in passive construction based on the results of expert surveys that were carried out using a Computer-Assisted Web Interview. Feedback from expert surveys covering the experience of 748 passive buildings projects from seven countries (Poland, Germany, Great Britain, the United States, Australia, Spain, and Austria) allowed us to access the frequency of occurrence, severity, detectability, and Risk Priority Numbers of the 32 risk factors identified in passive buildings projects. Those risk factors were identified based on literature research, risk interviews, scenario analysis, brainstorm sessions with passive buildings specialists, and our own observations of passive buildings projects. This study revealed that incorrect costing was the most frequent issue; complicated, non-compact building shapes with an unfavorable area-to-volume ratio had the highest severity of effects; the wrong interpretation of correctly prepared drawings and details obtained from the designer had the lowest detectability; and incorrect costing had the highest Risk Priority Number. In addition, this study allowed us to identify a narrow group of critical risk factors that are the most significant (have the highest RPN) and to which special attention should be paid in the risk-management process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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17 pages, 6647 KiB  
Article
Research on Summer Indoor Air Conditioning Design Parameters in Haikou City: A Field Study of Indoor Thermal Perception and Comfort
by Jiaxi Hu, Chengxi Lyu, Yinzhen Hou, Neng Zhu and Kairui Liu
Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3864; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093864 - 5 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1495
Abstract
Escalating global climate change and the intensification of urban heatwaves have led to an increase in summer air conditioning cooling energy consumption. This phenomenon is particularly critical in tropical regions, as it may trigger an energy crisis. The rational setting of indoor thermal [...] Read more.
Escalating global climate change and the intensification of urban heatwaves have led to an increase in summer air conditioning cooling energy consumption. This phenomenon is particularly critical in tropical regions, as it may trigger an energy crisis. The rational setting of indoor thermal design parameters can help conserve energy to the maximum extent while ensuring thermal comfort for occupants. This study selected Haikou City, a unique tropical city in China, as the research location. Indoor environment measurements and a questionnaire survey were conducted with participants, and the outdoor thermal environment sensitivity, population attributes and differences in thermal sensation, thermal neutral temperature, and comfort range were calculated and analyzed. The following results were obtained. Based on the overall population, long-term residence, and temporary residence classification, the indoor thermal comfort needs of residents in tropical cities in Haikou were effectively identified. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the overall population is 25.7 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.2 °C–28.0 °C. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the regular residents is 27.3 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.3 °C–31.4 °C. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the temporary population is 25.5 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.0 °C–28.0 °C. These research results have an important reference value for improving the setting of the temperature of air conditioning in tropical areas in summer and further reducing energy consumption, which is conducive to sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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18 pages, 2898 KiB  
Article
Operational Optimization of Regional Integrated Energy Systems with Heat Pumps and Hydrogen Renewable Energy under Integrated Demand Response
by Pengfei Duan, Mengdan Feng, Bingxu Zhao, Qingwen Xue, Kang Li and Jinglei Chen
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1217; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031217 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
A regional integrated energy system (RIES), synergizing multiple energy forms, is pivotal for enhancing renewable energy use and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Considering that the equipment of the current regional comprehensive energy system is relatively simple, there is a coupling relationship linking power [...] Read more.
A regional integrated energy system (RIES), synergizing multiple energy forms, is pivotal for enhancing renewable energy use and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Considering that the equipment of the current regional comprehensive energy system is relatively simple, there is a coupling relationship linking power generation, refrigeration, and heating in the cogeneration system, which is complex and cannot directly meet various load demands. This article proposes a RIES optimization model for bottom-source heat pumps and hydrogen storage systems in the context of comprehensive demand response. First, P2G electric hydrogen production technology was introduced into RIES to give full play to the high efficiency advantages of hydrogen energy storage system, and the adjustable thermoelectric ratio of the HFC was considered. The HFC could adjust its own thermoelectric ratio according to the system load and unit output. Second, through the ground-source heat pump’s cleaning efficiency function, further separation and cooling could be achieved. The heat and electrical output of RIES improved the operating efficiency of the system. Thirdly, a comprehensive demand response model for heating, cooling, and electricity was established to enable users to reasonably adjust their own energy use strategies to promote the rational distribution of energy in the system. The model integrates power-to-gas (P2G) technology, leveraging the tunable thermoelectric ratio of a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) to optimize the generation of electricity and heat while maximizing the efficiency of the hydrogen storage system. Empirical analysis substantiated the proposed RIES model’s effectiveness and economic benefits when integrating ground-source HP and electric hydrogen production with IDR. Compared with the original model, the daily operating cost of the proposed model was reduced by RMB 1884.16. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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Review

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17 pages, 1995 KiB  
Review
Urban Microclimate and Energy Modeling: A Review of Integration Approaches
by Naga Venkata Sai Kumar Manapragada and Jonathan Natanian
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 3025; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073025 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 451
Abstract
Current building energy modeling (BEM) tools lack the capability to inherently simulate the impacts of urban microclimates on building energy performance. While efforts have been made to integrate BEM with Urban Microclimate Modeling (UMM) tools, their ability to capture spatial and seasonal microclimate [...] Read more.
Current building energy modeling (BEM) tools lack the capability to inherently simulate the impacts of urban microclimates on building energy performance. While efforts have been made to integrate BEM with Urban Microclimate Modeling (UMM) tools, their ability to capture spatial and seasonal microclimate variations remains limited. This review critically evaluates existing urban microclimate-integrated BEM approaches and their effectiveness in modeling the complex interactions between urban form, microclimate, and building energy performance. Through an analysis of 94 research articles, the review first examines the influence of urban form on microclimates, followed by an assessment of how microclimatic conditions impact building energy use. Additionally, it evaluates conventional modeling frameworks employed in BEM tools and their limitations in representing dynamic microclimatic variations. The findings emphasize the non-linear heat exchange relationships between urban form and microclimate, typically modeled using computationally intensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based UMM tools. This review introduces a classification of heat exchange types: atmospheric heat exchange, involving air temperature, wind, and humidity, and non-atmospheric heat exchange, driven by radiative interactions with surrounding urban surfaces. The study further highlights that modifying standard weather files and heat transfer coefficients alone is insufficient for BEM tools to accurately capture near-surface microclimate variations. By identifying critical insights and research gaps, this review establishes a foundation for advancing next-generation urban microclimate-integrated BEM approaches, emphasizing the need for computationally efficient and dynamically responsive modeling techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Energy Systems and Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency to Achieve Sustainability)
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