Special issue on Clean Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Building Solutions

Introduction:

The global transition toward low-carbon and sustainable energy systems requires innovative solutions that bridge the gap between unconventional energy resources, renewable technologies, and end-use applications in the built environment Among the largest consumers of energy worldwide are buildings, which often rely heavily on fossil fuels and contributing significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

This Special Issue focuses on integrating unconventional and renewable energy sources (such as geothermal energy, hydrogen, advanced bioenergy, and hybrid renewable systems) into building energy systems to reduce carbon footprints, enhance energy resilience, and support decarbonization pathways. By combining clean energy technologies with smart management strategies, buildings can transition from passive consumers of energy to active, intelligent nodes in sustainable urban and industrial energy networks.

The scope of this issue highlights advanced energy solutions such as smart grids, hybrid energy systems, and innovative storage technologies, alongside techno-economic and environmental analyses to ensure practical, real-world implementation. These innovations are vital not only for improving building energy performance, but also for maximizing the efficient use of unconventional energy resources and mitigating climate impacts.

Scope and Topics of Interest:

We welcome original research articles, review papers, technical notes, and case studies that address the integration of unconventional and renewable energy resources into sustainable building systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Integration of unconventional and renewable energy sources (geothermal, hydrogen, bioenergy, etc.) into building systems
• Techno-economic and environmental analyses of clean building energy systems
• Smart, hybrid energy networks for decarbonizing building operations
• Advanced HVAC systems and energy recovery technologies for reducing carbon emissions
• Net-zero and positive-energy buildings powered by unconventional resources
• CO₂ capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) solutions applied to the building sector
• Energy storage technologies for resilient building energy systems
• Policy frameworks and decarbonization pathways for buildings
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies through building energy transitions

Submission Instructions: 

Please read the Guide for Authors before submitting. All articles should be submitted online, please select VSI: CTSB on submission. All submissions will undergo a normal peer-review process.

Important Deadlines: Submission deadline: 30 Sep 2026

Guest Editors:

• Dr. Alireza Dehghani-Sanij, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), University of Waterloo, Canada. Email: alireza.dehghanisanij@uwaterloo.ca.
• Dr. Siamak Hosseinzadeh, Energy & Geoscience Institute, University of Utah, USA. Email: siamak.hosseinzadeh@utah.edu.
• Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Salehi Dezfouli, Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT), Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. Email: mehdi.dezfouli@ntnu.no.
• Prof. Kody Powell, Energy & Geoscience Institute, University of Utah, USA. Email: kody.powell@utah.edu.