The global push for net zero emissions by mid-century is reshaping the competencies required in managing buildings. The built environment is a major front in climate mitigation, accounting for an estimated 38% of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide. This study reviews the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to future-proof facility management (FM) professionals in alignment with evolving climate legislation, with a focus on the UKâs NetZero 2050 target. Through a critical synthesis of recent academic, industry, and policy literature, five key themes emerge: the rise of carbon literacy and regulatory fluency as core FM competencies, the urgency of digital proficiency, the importance of strategic communication, persistent gaps in training frameworks, and the uneven integration of sustainability tools in practice. Institutional barriers, such as outdated qualifications and limited upskilling opportunities are identified alongside technical challenges. A conceptual framework is proposed to guide FM upskilling, tool integration, and strategic repositioning within organizations. The findings offer actionable insights for industry bodies, training providers, and policymakers to align FM practice with national and global climate goals, highlighting that empowering FM professionals is pivotal to achieving decarbonisation targets.
The built environment is a critical frontier for climate change mitigation and adaptation, with residential buildings accounting for a substantial portion of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents a critical review of contemporary literature (2020-2025) synthesizing advancements in climate-resilient housing through integrated architectural and renewable energy solutions. A systematic analysis of 51 studies examines three core areas: passive and active architectural design for thermal resilience; the role of decentralized renewable energy in enhancing autonomy; and the socio-technical, policy, and governance dimensions of implementation. The present review identifies a paradigm shift from static efficiency toward dynamic, adaptive building systems, highlighting the efficacy of bioclimatic design, smart materials, and AI-driven management. Decentralized solar energy is underscored as fundamental for decarbonization and energy security, though its success depends on supportive policies, community engagement, and equitable finance. Persistent gaps are noted, including the need for holistic lifecycle assessments, scalable models for low-income contexts, and stronger integration of technical and social equity approaches. The review concludes by advocating for a transformative shift toward adaptive, regenerative, and just residential environments.
Buildings are shifting from static, environment centric control schemes toward dynamic systems that adaptively respond to individual occupants. To clarify how this transition affects building operation, this paper reviews recent advances in occupant centric control from three dimensions: physical control systems, data and network infrastructure, and occupant interaction mechanisms. The review draws from research in building science and computing and organizes key developments using the trinity of transformation, resilience, and sustainability. The results show that the shift to occupant centric requires high-density sensing, distributed data processing, interoperable protocols, and feedback models that integrate occupant behavior. The paper also discusses how concepts introduced from Web3 can support decentralized data management and long-term trust in occupant participation. This work provides a technical and conceptual basis for researchers and practitioners involved in the digital transformation of smart building operation.
Rooftop solar (RTS) represents a critical component of Indiaâs clean energy transition, offering decentralized generation, reduced transmission losses, and potential resilience benefits. Yet, despite ambitious national targets and substantial technical potential, RTS adoption has lagged behind expectations. This narrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature (2019â2025), government program documents, and policy reports to examine the trends, barriers, enablers, economics, regional signals, stakeholder outcomes, and policy implications shaping rooftop solar adoption in India. Findings indicate that commercial and industrial consumers have historically dominated the sector due to favorable tariffs and access to credit, while residential uptake accelerated only after the launch of flagship initiatives such as PM Surya Ghar. Persistent barriers include high upfront costs, affordability gaps, regulatory uncertainty, procedural delays, information asymmetries, and built environment constraints. At the same time, innovations such as simplified subsidy pipelines, digitalized approval portals, DISCOM performance incentives, vendor certification, and emerging business models including RESCO/OPEX and group or virtual net metering demonstrate viable pathways to expand adoption. The review identifies future research needs in program evaluation, financial innovation, grid integration, apartment governance, and quality assurance, and emphasizes the importance of stable regulatory frameworks, inclusive finance, and community-oriented models.
Reducing energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions in buildings is one of the key aspects of climate change on a global level. To put the building sector on a low carbon development path, policies and adequate financing play a crucial role in each region. In the global South, policies and regulations related to the decarbonization of the building stock are increasingly being implemented. For policy and decision makers, adequate data on the status quo of the building stock, as well as the quantification of energy reduction measures, are essential to make informed decisions on the building regulatory and funding framework. The objective of this study is to provide data-driven insights into the potential for energy and CO2 reduction in buildings across various hot climate zones in the Global South. A simulation-based approach was employed to model five different building types, ranging from residential homes to office buildings, under a variety of architectural and building services scenarios. The simulations were conducted using the dynamic building energy simulation tool EnergyPlus, which assessed the impact of various energy-saving measures under both current and projected future climate conditions. This study concludes that optimizing passive design features, such as improved windows, solar shading, and reflective surfaces, in conjunction with active systems like decentralized cooling units and renewable energy integration, can result in a notable reduction in energy demand and emissions. Our findings provide a robust basis for policymakers to develop targeted energy efficiency strategies for buildings in hot climate zones, which will play a crucial role in achieving climate goals in the Global South.
Jan W. Bleyl, Mark Robertson, Sarah Mitchell, Patrik Thollander
Abstract Energy efficiency (EE) is our âfirst fuelâ and an essential resource in reaching climate goals, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing security of supply, and many other âMultiple Benefits.â However, by their nature, savings are intangible. Demand-side EE measures are typically decentralized, heterogeneous, and small-scale opportunities. The difficulties in measurement and verification (M&V) of âNegawattsâ are an important and often overlooked barrier to their greater application. M&V is a prerequisite to assess the performance of any energy, water, or CO 2 -saving measure, and to quantify the savings into physical and monetary units for reporting, re-financing, GHG accounting, or other purposes. However, in practice, M&V is often perceived (particularly by clients) as cumbersome, incomprehensible, and costly. In the broader context, energy cost savings alone are often not a sufficiently strong project driver because they lack strategic relevance for decision makers. As âMultiple Benefitsâ of EE become better understood, the value of quantifying savings to a high degree of accuracy may be declining, creating opportunities for more flexible M&V standards. As a new methodology, this conceptual paper proposes to combine simplified M&V (sM&V) for individual EE measures with quality assurance instruments (QAIs) to verify functionality. This âsM&V + QAIâ approach is less cumbersome, less costly, and easier to comprehend than standard M&V approaches, particularly by clients, financiers, and other non-M&V experts. It has been reviewed by international experts and successfully tested and evaluated in the field. Multiple case studies are reported to verify its practical feasibility.
Abstract Combined heat and power (CHP) systems, an effective way of meeting high energy demand with high efficiency, were adapted to existing large service buildings in most studies. Because of the large daily and seasonal fluctuations in energy and electricity demands of the buildings, optimization problems have come into view and have been studied. This study propounds a holistic design solution for the CHP systems' inadequacy to meet varying consumer energy demands in residential and the excessive electricity demand created by cryptocurrency mining. In addition, the study defines the possible high efficiency and sustainability for residentials producing and consuming heat and electricity by themselves. An energyâconservative threeâblock residential and a CHP system were projected together by a holistic view balancing the residencies' peak thermal demand to the thermal output capacity of the CHP system. The investment return rate of the CHP system was maximized by optimizing the thermodynamic efficiencies and maximizing the electric generation for cryptocurrency mining. The energetic efficiency increased from 40% to an energy utilization factor of 83%, and exergetic efficiency increased from 39% to 42%. The wasteâexergy ratio decreased from 61% to 58%. The engine's environmental effect factor was 1.56 and reduced to 1.38 with the CHP system. The exergetic sustainability index was improved from 0.64 to 0.72. The benefitâcost ratio was estimated as 1.6, with an internal return rate of 79%. Holistic designs considering common values should be considered to improve sustainability.
The UK Government's Climate Change Act (CCA) aims to achieve a net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050. Supermarkets, being among the most energy-intensive non-residential buildings, play a pivotal role in this endeavour. This research delves into the influence of climate change on supermarket buildings, exploring methodologies to mitigate its impact and assessing its effects on operational energy and carbon emissions. The United Nations has emphasized the built environment's significant contribution to global CO2 emissions, necessitating urgent action. Using a quantitative approach, this study employs the TAS â EDSL software to simulate energy consumption, carbon emission, and building regulations for various supermarket case studies. The research also evaluates the performance of these buildings across different UK climates and emission scenarios, incorporating EU Zebra2020 tool metrics. The primary challenge encountered was the scarcity of literature specifically targeting the UK supermarket industry in the context of climate change. The research underscores the importance of balancing energy consumption, carbon emissions, and future climate adaptations, especially given the industry's nZEB target by 2050. The findings of this study serve as a beacon for all non-residential buildings, bridging the knowledge gap between climate change, building futureproofing, and emission reduction strategies. The research underscores the importance of long-term planning, continuous monitoring of energy-intensive buildings, and the holistic approach of reducing emissions across a building's lifespan. This research aims to guide policymakers and building designers in future-proofing structures, emphasizing the need for energy-efficient measures and the integration of renewable technologies. The overarching goal is to foster the creation of sustainable, climate-resilient buildings for future generations.
Nan Ma, Alex Waegel, Max Hakkarainen, William W. Braham · 6 authors
Electric demand flexibility in buildings is highly dependent on occupant behavior. Evaluating and incentivizing these behaviors can provide grid-responsive support and encourage demand response (DR) participation. To achieve these goals, we developed an infrastructure for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to a distributed ledger (blockchain network) for long-term monitoring of energy and environmental performance. This study presents a novel Blockchain + IoT paradigm for the building science research community, applied in a real-world application. This Blockchain + IoT Network (BIN) uses Raspberry Pi minicomputers as platforms for connecting sensors to a blockchain network, to provide and analyze real-time indoor environmental quality (IEQ), energy, and carbon intensity data. As part of the study, we propose various metrics to evaluate the environmental footprints of building users. Novel algorithms for normalizing energy usage and carbon intensity, with consideration of a variety of related environmental factors, are executed as smart contracts on the blockchain network. All measurements and the smart contract transactions are reported and visualized on live dashboards. The use of smart contract allocates tokens based on the reward algorithms to incentivize individualsâ energy conservation, and similarly to DR pricing, can help influence occupant consumption patterns towards carbon reduction goals. We further test the smart contractâs algorithm in relation to real sensor data we have collected in two case studies: single-unit households and carbon intensity in the energy market. The combination of proposed metrics translates measured sensor data into token awards, demonstrates upper and lower limits dictated by the grid generation mix profile, and indicates that there is the potential for load shifting to minimize carbon emissions without considering the scale of consumption.
Abstract This study aims to provide detailed information on the key technologies that utilize renewables for decarbonization and electrification of the residential heating sector. To contextualize and compare the economics of the technologies, a levelized cost model is employed to perform a comparative analysis for a dense urban area in Switzerland. The outcome shows that decarbonization of the heat supply with a dominant share of renewables is feasible, but it is challenged by the high cost of some options. In the given context (current energy and CO 2 prices, no coercive measures), the rapid shift from conventional boilers to electrification via decentralized heat pumps and/or the introduction of targeted small-scale thermal energy networks utilizing cheap local resources like industrial excess heat is the most viable option. The replacement of natural gas boilers with electrification technologies also is recommendable because it would result in a sixfold reduction in specific CO 2 emissions. Wide-scale application of heat pumps may require significant electricity grid reinforcement which ultimately may escalate the costs. Large-scale district heating systems are currently relatively expensive due to the high network costs and require a sustainable financing mechanism. To speed up the energy transition, policy interventions by the government are urgently needed.
Typically, residential buildings neither allow flexibility in the individual contract power capacity nor considers buildings as unique electricity consumers. In this work, a smart building is designed that each electricity customer has flexible contract power and the whole collective residential building has a single contract power. A management entity is considered to manage all energy resources of the building such as the photovoltaic generation, electric vehicles, and battery energy storage system, taking into consideration the consumption from apartments and common services, to minimize the electricity bill. Hence, the best/optimal contract power capacity will contribute to minimizing electricity costs. Therefore, finding the optimal decision of the contract power value has received a significant role from the energy management in smart buildings. In this paper, a mixed binary optimization problem is formulated in which not only the optimal value of contract power is yield but the optimal schedule of the electric vehicle/battery storage charge and discharge are found, taking into consideration the photovoltaic generation and load consumption profiles. The proposed model is implemented for three scenarios, and the obtained results show that the model efficiency has a high performance with a significant electricity cost reduction, around 47%. The results pointed that using an optimal value of single contract power and intelligent management system, the building electricity costs decrease remarkably.
Smart homes, connected through a network, can optimize the energy consumption and general load shape of their area. In this work, a blockchain-based smart solution is presented for demand-side management of residential buildings in a neighborhood to improve Peaks to Average Ratios (PAR) of power load, reduce energy consumption, and increase the thermal comfort of occupants by modeling heating, illumination, and appliance systems. For real-time power and temperature monitoring of the neighborhood, a transient numerical physical model has been developed. The simulator has been validated with data measured from a building in Northern Italy. Then, a neighborhood with 2,000 households has been modeled for different occupancy patterns, initial values, and boundary conditions. Two different control scenarios, namely basic and smart, have been considered. In the basic scenario, everything is managed by occupants except the boiler, which is controlled by the indoor temperature of the home. Instead, in the smart scenario, a blockchain-based network has been introduced for buildings to exchange a parameter called the Probability of the Next Hour (PNH). Ethereum Solidity has been deployed for smart contract development in the blockchain. The results show that using blockchain-connected smart controllers aimed at demand-side management can improve PAR, comfort level, and energy efficiency of buildings, which can bring about CO2 reduction on an urban and even global scale.
Outdoor play is vital for positive socialisation and development of children including cognitive, psychological, and physiological benefits. Playing outdoors increases attention, creative thought processes and problem-solving skills as well as combating obesity, mental health problems and improving social skills of children. Encouraging and supporting outdoor play is particularly important today, where the daily time interval children are engaging in physical activity is contracting. However, the lack of shade and hot playground equipment make it unsafe for children to enjoy playgrounds in summer. This situation is particularly problematic in times where summer heat is increasing as result of climate chance, which already limits the time for safe outdoor play. Now more than ever is it necessary to start building climate-smart playgrounds. This report has two parts. Part 1 establishes the facts around heat in playgrounds. We document surface, air and feels like temperatures in public playgrounds across the Cumberland Local Government Area. All playgrounds were visited repeatedly during warm and hot conditions in the summer of 2019/20 and 2020/21. Part 1 also provides systematic analyses of surface temperatures of SBR, EPDM, TPO, synthetic turf and real grass. In Part 2 we describe the process, outputs and outcomes of a playground transformation at Memorial Park in Merrylands. The playground is in the Local Government Area of Cumberland City Council in the geographic centre of Sydney. With support from the NSW Government, Cumberland City Council, industry partners and inputs from a range of stakeholders, we created Australiaâs first dedicated UV-smart Cool Playground. Since October 2020, the playground is enjoyed by the local community. Research data showing the avoided heat, improved thermal comfort and reduced exposure to UV-A and UV-B are provided and demonstrate the functionality of the playground.