Design and Prospect of Net-Zero Energy Buildings

Dear Colleagues,

New concepts and implementations of Net-Zero and Positive-Energy buildings and communities have arisen as a result of the need for the decarbonization of communities and cities. Almost 20 years after the introduction of the Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) concept, it is time to evaluate its progress and impact on the built environment, especially in light of recent worldwide challenges, such as climate change and the unforeseen energy crisis.

Today it is clear that buildings, whether public or private, must become more energy efficient and be able to produce their own energy needs, shifting from energy consumers to energy producers. It can be achieved, on the one hand, by proper energy-conscious building and urban design, and on the other, by integrating the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

There are several definitions for zero energy buildings and complexes. The main difference between them is the system borders - the location of renewable energy sources. Under different definitions, the energy production source can be found within the building footprint or inside the plot/site boundary. However, the building owner can also purchase "green" energy off-site or import renewable energy sources for on-site energy production.

The ongoing and continuous growth and densification of cities represent a serious challenge for achieving real ZEB. Proper urban planning and regulations can cope and allow for better performance beyond the scale of individual buildings. For instance, mutual shadowing between buildings may be an obstacle to installing photovoltaic arrays on the building envelope and open spaces around buildings compromising the feasibility of the ZEB equation.

Thus, this Special Issue will focus on but is not limited to zero energy buildings and communities design, challenges and limitations, case studies, renewable energy in high-density situations, planning regulations, and performance.

Dr. Abraham Yezioro
Prof. Dr. Isaac Capeluto
Guest Editors

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• zero energy buildings
• zero energy communities
• urban planning
• urban regulation
• building integrated renewables
• source energy
• site energy