Building Energy Conservation Research Articles

Simulation Study of Thermal Performance on the Inner and Outer Surfaces of Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic (STPV) Glass with Different Transparency

This paper used the experimentally verified one-dimensional steady-state heat transfer numerical model of the semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) glass to simulate the influence of wind speed, ambient temperature and air gap thickness on the surface temperature of PV modules, and analyzed the thermal performance of the inner and outer surfaces of STPV glazing with different transparency. Results shows that for every 1m/s increase in wind speed, the outer surface temperatures of SL-STPV glass with transparency of 10%, DL-STPV glass with transparency of 20% and 40% decreased by 3 °C, 3.02 °C and 2.22 °C, respectively. For every 10 °C increase in ambient temperature, the outer surface temperatures of SL-STPV glass with transparency of 10%, DL-STPV glass with transparency of 20% and 40% increase by 8.45 °C, 7.6 °C, and 7.79 °C, respectively. For the DL-STPV glass with transparency of 20% and 40%, for every 2 mm increase in the thickness of the air gap, the outer surface temperature increases by 0.13 °C and 0.12 °C, respectively. The heat transfer between the inner surface of the glass and the indoor environment increases the heat gain through the glass into the room in summer, which will lead to an increase in refrigeration energy consumption. However, in winter, the heat exchange between the inner surface and the in-door air to heat the indoor air reduces the heating energy consumption to a certain extent, and achieves the effect of building energy conservation to a certain extent.

Thermal performance of a novel Trombe wall enhanced by a solar energy focusing approach

The Trombe wall is a passive solar building exterior wall system proposed by Professor Felix Trombe in France, which can collect solar energy to heat buildings without additional energy consumption, making it a focal point of research in building energy conservation. However, its effectiveness is constrained by the low density of solar radiation in winter and the potential for overheating in summer. This study introduces a novel Trombe wall designed to address these issues through a focused strategy, enabling automatic transition between heating during winter and shading during summer. The thermal performance parameters of the novel Trombe walls in both winter and summer seasons are examined, and their energy consumption is assessed using experimental research methodologies. Findings indicate that the novel Trombe wall facilitates greater energy savings in both winter and summer. When compared with traditional Trombe walls, the novel Trombe wall achieves a significant reduction in energy consumption, with up to 55 W/m2 in heating load during winter and 47 W/m2 in cooling load during summer. The introduction of this new system holds substantial potential for the realization of zero-energy buildings.

Multi-objective integrated optimization of geothermal heating system with energy storage using digital twin technology

Heat energy storage technology plays a significant role in energy systems, and the various technological solutions brought about by digitalization are especially valuable in the field of energy storage. This article proposes an innovative model based on digital twin technology to solve the supply–demand mismatch problem in geothermal heating systems. This model achieves multi-objective optimization of comprehensive cost, geothermal energy utilization rate, and carbon emission by constructing a heat storage geothermal heating system. Digital twin technology integrates data and information models of public buildings and facilitates their sharing and transmission throughout the entire lifecycle of the geothermal heating system. Initially, the proposed method employs a machine learning-based approach to accurately predict heating demand. Subsequently, the operation of the heat storage water tank and heat pump units is optimized to resolve difficulties in matching energy supply and demand. Finally, the method takes full advantage of time-of-use electricity pricing policies to reduce costs. The data utilized were collected from an office building in China over a period of six months. Experimental results demonstrate that: (1) In terms of predicting heating demand, the improved neural network proposed in this study achieved a prediction accuracy of 98%, which is a 10% improvement over comparative algorithms. Additionally, the experimental comparison of four types of errors showed that the machine learning method proposed had smaller errors across the board. (2) The method realized collaborative multi-objective optimization, and in five scenarios, the comprehensive performance index increased by up to 38.03% compared to the benchmark system. This indicates that intelligent technology is an effective means of enhancing the energy sustainability of geothermal heating systems, and the use of geothermal energy as a clean energy source effectively addresses issues related to the storage, utilization, management, and energy conservation of buildings.

Carbon emissions path of public buildings based on LEAP model in Changsha city (China)

China is currently the world's top carbon emitter due to the acceleration of urbanization, the rapid growth of energy consumption and the rise in carbon emissions, with the construction industry leading the three energy sectors in terms of emission reduction potential. Among the various sectors, the construction industry holds immense potential for emission reduction, with public buildings playing a crucial role. In China, the expansion of public building spaces is closely linked to the pace of urbanization and contributes to a rising share of total building area. Public buildings, characterized by high energy usage, offer a great opportunity for energy conservation and emission reduction. Changsha is experiencing rapid growth and change, and the city is becoming more industrialized and urbanized, which leads to a prominent contradiction between energy supply and demand. There is also great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction in public buildings. Additionally, Changsha is an important node city in the Yangtze River urban agglomeration and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is a typical area that has hot summer and cold winter, thus Changsha is selected as the research case to examine the carbon emission path of public buildings. The primary influencing factors of carbon emissions of public buildings in Changsha City are determined by using the LMDI factor decomposition method addition model. The scenario analysis method is adopted to set the two energy consumption forecast scenarios, which are the baseline scenario and the green scenario. Based on LEAP model and GREAT framework structure, the LEAP prediction model is constructed to predict the carbon emissions of public buildings in Changsha City from 2021 to 2035. The Baseline scenario indicates that while carbon emissions from public buildings in Changsha continue to rise, they are expected to decline starting in 2030. The peak carbon emission of 34.279 million tons of CO2 is predicted for 2032. In contrast, the Green scenario reveals a significantly slower growth rate in carbon emissions from public buildings, with the peak carbon emission projected to reach 27.054 million tons in 2030. This aligns with China's national goal. The findings of this study support the accuracy of the long-term prediction of the model, and offer recommendations for energy conservation and emission reduction in Changsha. This study also provides an example and certain guidance for other provinces and cities that have similar development models and climate conditions. Pertinent development strategies serve as a point of reference for other typical hot summer and cold winter regions.

Unlocking energy and economic benefits of integrated green envelopes in office building retrofits

Green envelopes show significant potential in energy conservation and thermal comfort enhancement in office buildings. This study presents a comprehensive method integrating field tests, building energy simulations, and optimization in office buildings in Chongqing, China. A 20-year life-cycle cost analysis was conducted to evaluate the benefits of green roofs (using sedum lineare container-type planting modules) and green façades (featuring vertical kudzu greenery systems). The results indicate that green roofs could reduce peak temperatures by up to 34.3 °C, leading to daily energy savings of 12.5 % during summer. Green façades decreased the wall exterior surface temperatures by up to 3.4 °C and 5.1 °C on the test cold and hot days, respectively. The maximum annual building electricity savings per green-modified area was 22.8 kWh/m2 for the poorly-insulated building and 5.4 kWh/m2 for the well-insulated one. This study highlights the cost-effectiveness of green envelopes in improving building efficiency. The optimal retrofit measure for the poorly-insulated building was the combination of green roofs and daylighting dimming control systems, yielding a 20-year life-cycle net savings per floor area of 81.5 CNY/m2. For the well-insulated building, the daylighting dimming control system alone provided optimal net savings per floor area of 26.4 CNY/m2.

One-step preparation of macropore phase change materials enabled exceptional thermal insulation, thermal energy storage and long-term stability

Phase change materials (PCMs) capable of reversibly storing and releasing thermal energy have been widely used in our daily life to reduce energy consumption. However, traditional PCMs are mainly focused on the promotion of their enthalpy and thermal conductivity yet are rarely noticed on incorporating their thermal energy storage capacity with thermal insulation performance. Herein, a kind of macropore PCMs (MPCMs) was synthesized by directly adding expanded microspheres into polyethylene glycol-based PCMs, in which the microspheres can form an internal closed porous structure in matrix for realizing thermal insulation and polyethylene glycol is used as the phase change component for achieving thermal energy storage. Amazingly, the designed MPCMs have significant latent heat storage capacity reached up to130.2 J g−1 and simultaneously possess extremely low thermal conductivity of 0.08577 W m−1 K−1. The thermal power generation system test further revealed the thermal insulation capability of these MPCMs was eleven times more than that of the commercial wood. Especially, these MPCMs with relatively low density of 0.492 g cm−3 can still maintain the remarkable tensile strength of 11.74 MPa and can also exhibit good toughness via multiple cyclic shape memory analysis. The focus of this work that is to combine the thermal insulation ability of porous materials with the thermal energy storage ability of PCMs, can effectively reduce the heat conduction meanwhile can maintain the stability of internal temperature contributed to reducing energy consumption, applying in food transportation, building energy conservation and other fields.

Winter indoor thermal environment and livability analysis of traditional residential houses in northeast Sichuan, China

With the rapid development of the national economy, increasing attention has been given to the living environment in rural areas, especially indoor thermal and wind environments. This study conducted on-site measurements and questionnaire surveys during winter in the indoor environment of five villages in northeastern Sichuan. Eighty-nine traditional residences were selected to investigate their fundamental characteristics, indoor thermal environment, humidity conditions, and comfort levels. Questionnaires and comparative experiments were also conducted with natives and locals. This combination of objective data and subjective feedback provides a comprehensive perspective for assessing the indoor thermal environment. The results showed that when expressed as neutral temperature and humidity, the temperature difference was 2.36 °C, with little humidity difference. Residents exhibited higher tolerance towards the local thermal and humidity environment than nonlocal volunteers, who showed greater sensitivity to it. In addition, residents had a Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) value of −0.69 and a heat acceptance value of −1.78, while non-local volunteers had a PMV value of −0.76 and a heat acceptance value of −1.32. A detailed evaluation and analysis of the relationship between the indoor thermal environment and human comfort of local residential houses was carried out, providing technical guidance for energy conservation and thermal insulation of local buildings.

The building application of foam concrete combined with PCM in cold regions and its energy efficiency

Building performance in cold regions greatly affects the quality of people living in the building. With the further development of the construction industry, how to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in cold regions has become one of the key issues. The study introduces paraffin phase change capsules as aggregate components on the basis of foam concrete, and then designs a matching energy efficiency analysis method to regulate the concrete parameters, and finally tests the performance of the research method and conducts an application analysis. The experimental results show that in performance simulation testing, the internal surface temperature decreases to 288.2 K at the minimum when the external temperature is 0°C to 4°C. It shows that the research method can effectively analyze the building performance, and the analysis method can optimize the performance of the foam concrete materials proposed in the research, and obtain building materials with better thermal insulation performance than the existing conventional materials. Research can provide certain technical references for building energy conservation in cold regions.

Integration of N- and P- elements in sodium alginate aerogels for efficient flame retardant and thermal insulating properties

In the field of building energy conservation, the development of biodegradable biomass aerogels with excellent mechanical performance, flame retardancy and thermal insulation properties is of particular importance. Here, a directional freeze-drying method was used for fabricating composite sodium alginate (SA) aerogels containing functionalized ammonium polyphosphate (APP) flame retardant. In particular, APP was coated with melamine (MEL) and phytic acid (PA) by a supramolecular assembly process. Through optimizing the flame retardant addition, the SA-20 AMP sample exhibited excellent flame retardant and thermal insulation properties, with the limiting oxygen index of 38.2 % and the UL-94 rating of V-0. Such aerogels with anisotropic morphology demonstrated a low thermal conductivity of 0.0288 (W/m·K) in the radial direction (perpendicular to the lamellar structure). In addition, as-obtained aerogels displayed remarkable water stability and mechanical properties, indicating significant potential for practical applications.

A systematic approach for analyzing building energy conservation and emission reduction policies based on the principle of WSR

The building industry is a key sector that needs priority attention to achieve ‘carbon peak 2030 and carbon neutrality 2060′. Building energy conservation and emission reduction (BECER) primarily relies on policy implementation. However, current policy studies are limited to specific perspectives of policy instruments, lacking a comprehensive approach. This study proposes an analytical framework based on the theory of ‘Wuli-Shili-Renli’ (WSR) to answer the question ‘how to analyze BECER policies systematically’. Latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic analysis method was utilized to identify topics in the wuli dimension, while content analysis was employed to analyze policy instruments in the ‘shili’ dimension, and participants were investigated through Social Network Analysis in the renli dimension. Finally, Henan province was selected as a case study to apply the proposed WSR framework. The findings reveal that: 1) From a wuli perspective, BECER policy topics rely solely on government involvement and lack of topics that require societal or familial participation. 2) From a ‘shili’ perspective, administrative policies are dominated while voluntary and fixed policies are insufficiently represented. 3) From a ‘renli’ perspective, implementers of BECER policies are predominantly single entities with limited cooperation among different sectors. The proposed WSR framework offers an innovative approach to comprehensively researching BECER policies and can be a useful tool for formulating scientific BECER policies in specific regions.

Enhancing Building Energy Efficiency: Leaf Transpiration Inspired Construction of Lignin-Based Wood Plastic Composites for Building Energy Conservation

Incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into buildings represents a strategic method for reducing reliance on air conditioning systems and decreasing energy usage consequently. Inspired by leaf veins providing channels for transpiration, lignin porous carbon (LPC) was synthesized by chemical activation, showing a vein pore structure. The capillary network system of the LPC provided more channel to adsorb PCM through surface tension and capillary force, achieving an impressive loading capacity of LPC for polyethylene glycol (PEG) (75%), which demonstrated exceptional heat storage capability (133.21 J/g). The lignin-derived wood-plastic composite (L-WPC) was further prepared. With the gradual increase of LPC/PEG, the latent heat of L-WPC increased gradually. The ΔHm, ΔHc and energy storage efficiency of L-WPC-50 (incorporated 50 wt% LPC/PEG-75) reached 39.99 J/g, 42.65 J/g and 90.26%, respectively. The vein pore structure of LPC also provided a thermal conductivity link for L-WPC. L-WPC-50 demonstrated an increased thermal conductivity (0.66 W/(m·K)) and a reduced thermal diffusion coefficient (0.24 mm2/s), optimizing the effectiveness of the phase transition. Additionally, L-WPC-50 displayed satisfactory mechanical properties and dimensional stability, with tensile strength, bending modulus and water absorption thickness swelling rate measuring 14.40 MPa, 1043.72 MPa, and 1.61% respectively. It introduced a feasible approach for utilizing biomass in enhancing building energy efficiency, marking a significant stride towards reducing building energy consumption and advocating sustainable energy practices.

Improving the thermal comfort model for students in naturally ventilated schools: Insights from a holistic study in the Mediterranean climate

The thermal comfort models defined in existing standards are usually ineffective in predicting students' mean thermal sensation. Accordingly, overheating and overcooling are frequently reported, which affect students’ well-being and cause unnecessary energy waste. Existing studies have not further explored the model improvement strategies for educational buildings. Hence, this research aims to improve the mean thermal sensation prediction model for students in naturally ventilated schools by incorporating correlated factors, based on a holistic field survey in the Mediterranean climate. The results indicate that the modified extended predicted mean vote of thermal adaptations reinforced around thermal neutrality has the highest accuracy among all validated adaptive predicted mean vote models. However, the performance of the adaptive predicted mean vote models is limited by the deficiencies of the original predicted mean vote model. The overall performance of the improved models was doubled after introducing the identified correlated factors, but the intrinsic error of the predicted mean vote index can slightly affect the models. As a result, the improved model built directly with the identified correlated factors achieved the best performance. Moreover, the potential of the machine learning models is limited by the volume of the mean thermal sensation vote data that can often be obtained, therefore conventional models such as multiple linear regression can be considered an effective and practical tool for developing the mean thermal sensation vote models. The findings of this study benefit the well-being of students and the energy conservation of educational buildings.

Insulation performance improvement for drywall using highly insulated steel studs with slots

Drywall systems are a highly constructible technology with short construction times that allow the recycling and reuse of materials. However, steel studs used to anchor the insulation can cause thermal bridging owing to their high thermal conductivity, which can reduce the insulation performance and thermal comfort of occupants. This study proposes a new design method for drywall systems that can overcome the shortcomings and contribute to building energy conservation. Studs with slots applied in the web area are proposed, and the thermal performance and optimal slot size were determined by thermal analysis simulations. Through sensitivity and regression analysis, a design method for drywall was proposed. The developed studs showed an increase in insulation performance of approximately 22.1 % compared with conventional studs. The error rate between the simulation results and the regression model was 0.4 %. An experiment was conducted to verify the insulation performance of the studs. The results of this study can contribute to expanding the application of drywall technology in the building field by solving the problem of thermal bridging and providing a unique perspective on the drywall.

High thermal conductivity composite phase change material with Zn2+ metal organic gel and expanded graphite for battery thermal management

Phase change materials (PCMs) with promising potential thermal energy is stored and released much thermal energy during phase change process, which has greatly prospect in building energy conservation, waste heat recovery, energy storage, electrical vehicles (EVs) and other fields. Nevertheless, the low thermal conductivity and easy leakage of PCM is still a challenge to restrict its fasting development. Traditional supporting material is hard to reconcile antileakage and thermal conductivity of composite PCM (CPCM). Herein, the polyethylene glycol (PEG) with three-dimensional Zn2+ metal–organic gel (ZnHGL) as high-thermal conductivity support framework, styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS) and expanded graphite (EG) has been designed and prepared PZSE with high thermal conductivity, accompany with double transferring heat and supporting network structure. In contrast with pure PEG, the thermal conductivity of PZSE2 is increased by obvious 8.7 times when Zn2+ metal–organic gel and SBS with the proportion of 1:1, the mass maintenance rate and latent heat storage capacity are increased to 99.5 % and 103.64 J/g, respectively. Further, the thermal imaging camera indicate that PZSE2 exhibit a stable temperature-regulation property, which is benefited to extend the time to adjust the temperature. Additionally, the maximum temperature and temperature differential of the battery module with PZSE2 can be maintained within 60 °C and 6 °C, respectively, even at 1.5C discharge rate after ten cycling process. It indicates that the battery module with PZSE2 has optimum thermal management effect. Therefore, PZSE with metal–organic gel and EG can provide a promising candidate utilization in thermal regulation of EVs and energy storage.

Influence of building orientation and thermal mass configuration on the prediction of Natural Ventilation Potential (NVP) of various climates of India.

Natural ventilation potential (NVP) of a climate is a theoretical basis, and it gains importance due to the promising need for building energy conservation while conceding required thermal comfort conditions. A modified NVP analytical model is proposed by considering parameters involved in the earlier models (Yang et al., Build Environ 40:738-746, 2005; Luo et al., Build Environ 42:2289-2298, 2007). The effect of the dynamic thermal behavior of the wall/roof and building orientation on the indoor air temperature has been evaluated. The analytical model is applied to 11 major cities of India that belong to composite, hot-dry, temperate, and warm-humid climates. Five different envelope configurations are analyzed to envisage the NVP of concern climate (ED-I to ED-V). The results show that the effect of dynamic thermal response factors on the NVP is significant, and optimization of thermal response factors in addition to the U-value is mandatory. The impact of wind frequency on the selection of building orientation is substantial since it influences the total heat gained by the building envelope. Moreover, it is perceived that the optimum building orientation is independent of the climate and weather conditions. ED-II and ED-III are energy-efficient envelopes for composite, temperate, warm-humid, and hot-dry climates. The results revealed that the Mumbai climate has the highest NVP of 66% while the building is oriented in an E-W direction, and the lowest is observed for Jodhpur, i.e., 44% of the year when the building is in the NE-SW direction. The model helps the building architectural designers envisage the true NVP and assess the suitability of the building for natural ventilation.

Planning and design of an architectural energy supply system based on photovoltaic-thermal technology

China’s building energy consumption is growing and the energy consumption of the whole process of buildings accounts for more than 46.5% of the country’s total energy consumption, of which the proportion of energy consumption used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning is as high as 50%. Solar energy has the greatest potential to achieve energy conservation in buildings. Buildings are the best carrier for solar energy utilization because of the advantages of local collection and local application. The combination of solar energy and buildings can meet a variety of energy and health needs in buildings, among which solar photovoltaic and CSP building integration technology is an important way to reduce building energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. This article presents a PV/T-based thermal storage wall system that efficiently utilizes solar energy. It outlines the PV/T technology’s fundamental principles and provides a detailed description of the system’s construction and operation, highlighting critical components like the solid thermal storage medium and heat transfer via a heat pump. The analysis indicates improved energy utilization and favorable economic feasibility. This technology offers a practical solution for the construction industry, promoting sustainable energy practices and environmental conservation.

Annual performance of solar chimney for a multi-story building based on Modelica multizone model

Integration of solar chimney is an effective passive strategy for facilitating fresh air flow and offering significant potential for building energy conservation. This research evaluates the optimal design and control strategy for a six-story office building that includes a solar chimney, focusing on stack effect ventilation and energy performance throughout the year. The ventilation rates in different configurations of solar chimney are compared to meet fresh air requirements. The results indicate that the separated solar chimney ensures uniform airflow across each floor, with ventilation standard-reaching rates ranging from 79.5 % to 88.6 %. Furthermore, maximums of air flow rate occur at each floor, with critical cavity width values of 0.5 m, 0.4 m, 0.4 m, 0.3 m, 0.3 m, and 0.2 m on the 1st to 6th floor, respectively. Under the condition of equal cavity inlet area, air flow rates rise with the increasing length/width ratios. Finally, when the outdoor temperatures fall beyond the design range, controlling excessive ventilation generated by solar chimney leads to a 19.6 % reduction in total energy consumption over the year, with 71.5 % of the savings during winter.

Development of a variable refrigerant flow system emulator to host the second World Championship in Cybernetic Building Optimization

This paper introduces an emulator developed to assess the operational characteristics of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) for the second World Championship in Cybernetic Building Optimization (WCCBO). The emulator utilizes BACnet communication and provides a realistic simulation for evaluating energy conservation and comfort in buildings with VRF systems. Herein, we discuss the building specifications for calculation, operation of the emulator, calculation method for the vertical temperature distribution, dissatisfactory rate calculation, and consideration of championship rules. Notably, a thermal preference model was developed for predicting the thermal sensation of occupants and adjusting the dissatisfaction rate based on their ability to control the indoor environment. In addition, we developed a method for calculating the total scores during the WCCBO and devised a suitable network structure for score registration. The results of this study highlight the importance of personal control and impact of drafts on thermal comfort. This paper presents a meta-level methodology to determine the best operation for each specific VRF system for a future world championship, whose planning is underway and will be conducted to accumulate information on optimal operations.

A novel candidate shape-stabilized phase change material for building energy conservation based on lauric acid/roasted iron tailings-expanded graphite

This study presents the fabrication of a novel shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) characterized by high thermal capacity and heat transfer efficiency. The material was composed of lauric acid (LA) embedded in roasted iron tailings (RIT) and expanded graphite (EG), utilizing a straightforward, low-cost, and direct impregnation method. The as-prepared LA/RIT-EG SSPCM underwent a comprehensive analysis of leakage tests, surface morphology, chemical compatibility, phase change properties, thermal stability, and reliability. Furthermore, the heat transfer efficiency and thermal conductivity were measured through cooling tests and a laser thermal conductivity analyzer, respectively. The LA/RIT-EG formulation demonstrated an ability to absorb 61.57 wt% LA without leakage, maintaining excellent form-stability with a mass fraction proportion of 29:9.43 for RIT and EG. DSC results revealed phase temperatures and latent heats of 42.49–46.31 °C and 108.1–113.1 J/g, respectively. Compared to pure LA, LA/RIT-EG exhibited a 489.7 % increase in thermal conductivity. Additionally, heat storage and release rates were improved by 81.25 % and 88.24 %, respectively. The study elucidated the mechanism behind the enhancement in encapsulation capacity and thermal conductivity by RIT-EG, validated through specific surface area and wettability tests. Overall, the results suggest that LA/RIT-EG, characterized by high thermal capacity and heat transfer efficiency, holds promise as a potential candidate for thermal energy storage, particularly in the context of energy conservation in buildings.

CO2 adsorption properties of aerogel and application prospects in low-carbon building materials: A review

The applications and researches of the aerogel in the field of building materials and building energy conservation had been widely concerned due to its excellent thermal insulation properties. However, it has not been paid attention that the potential application values for excellent CO2 adsorption properties of aerogel in building materials. The CO2 adsorption properties of aerogel and the research progress on utilizing SiO2 aerogel in building materials had been reviewed. And the application prospect of the technologies that exploit the CO2 adsorption properties of aerogel and the carbonization technology to prepare SiO2 aerogel-based low-carbon building materials was discussed. It was shown that the type, morphology, and pore structure of aerogel significantly affect the resulting carbon adsorption performance. Amino modification was an effective method for improving the carbon adsorption capacity of aerogel. The performance of aerogel-incorporated cement-based composites could be optimized by improving the performance of binder materials, modifying the aerogel, or preparing new aggregates by loading aerogel into porous materials with higher strength. In addition, it was feasible to prepare new green low-carbon building materials by using aerogel as thermal insulating aggregate and carbon adsorption material, industrial solid wastes rich in alkali metal ions as cementitious materials, and carbonation curing technology. The purpose of this review was to promote the application of CO2 adsorption properties of aerogel in building materials, and enhance the development of low-carbon (or zero-carbon, or negative-carbon) building materials. This is of great significance for reducing carbon emissions in the construction sector and promoting the "carbon neutrality" of global.