Sustainable Buildings: opportunities, challenges, aims and vision

Abstract

WelcometoSustainableBuildings,anewinternational,peerreviewed, multi-disciplinary platform for the dissemination of knowledge and practice on engineering and technical issues concerning all aspects of building science, technology, energy and environmental performance, for the benefi to f researchersandprofessionalpeople concernedwith building. In this editorial, we wish to outline the sustainability opportunities and challenges for the building sector, reasons for this endeavour and our vision for the types of research that we hope to see published over our term. Over the past decade, international organisations have put significant effort towards the improvement of energy efficiency in new and existing buildings as evidenced by the new European Commissionenergystrategy for the period of 2020 to 2030 [1]. The building sector offers the greatest potential for achieving significant energy and CO2 reductions, at least cost, in developed and developing countries. Presently, the building sector contributes up to 40% of the global energy demand and one-third of CO2 emission [2]. The rise in population, demand for high comfort levels and time spent inside buildings assures that the increasing trend in energy consumption will continue in the future [3]. Therefore, it is essential to identify and develop innovation-integrated building and energy technologies in order to advance sustainable building practices and achieve the energy efficient targets. The rapid development of new energy technologies [4],