A Comprehensive Review on Technologies for Achieving Zero-Energy Buildings

Yushi Wang, Beining Hu, Xianhai Meng and Runjin Xiao ()
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Yushi Wang: Department of Construction Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Beining Hu: Department of Construction Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Xianhai Meng: School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 6AZ, UK
Runjin Xiao: Department of Construction Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-26

Abstract: The booming of the building industry has led to a sharp increase in energy consumption. The advancement of zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) is of great significance in mitigating climate change, improving energy efficiency, and thus realizing sustainable development of buildings. This paper reviews the recent progress of key technologies utilized in ZEBs, including energy-efficient measures (EEMs), renewable energy technologies (RETs), and building energy management system (BEMS), aiming to provide reference and support of the wider implementation of ZEBs. EEMs can reduce energy demand by optimizing the envelope design, phase change materials integration, efficient HVAC systems, and user behavior. The renewable energy sources discussed here are solar, biomass, wind, and geothermal energy, including distributed energy systems introduced to integrated various renewable resources and meet users’ demand. This study focuses on the application of building energy management in ZEBs, including energy use control, fault detection and diagnosis, and management optimization. The recent development of these three technologies mainly focuses on the combination with artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, this paper also emphasizes possible future research works about user behavior and zero-energy communities to improve the energy efficiency from a more complicated perspective.

Keywords: zero-energy buildings; energy-efficient measures; renewable energy technology; building energy management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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