High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives

The Building sector requires a conspicuous considerable amount of energy for services related to annual air-conditioning and the thermal comfort of indoor spaces. The design of highly efficient low-energy buildings is often a challenging task, especially rranean area, where the balanced requirement for heating and cooling energy does not usually permit a high level of envelope insulation in order to avoid summer overheating. This topical Special Issue of Energies is dedicated to "High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives" and collects studies related to the assessment and evaluation of systems and technologies for building energy management and control in the Mediterranean climate, with the aim of optimizing the building-plant system and reducing energy use. This collection of papers presents the latest research results related to the topic; these articles offer valuable insights into the energy simulation of highly efficient buildings, propose innovative envelope solutions, such as green roofs, Trombe walls, and PCM, and investigate the use of renewable sources such as photovoltaic systems. The topics also include the innovative use and control of Venetian blinds and fixed solar shades in order to reduce energy consumption and preserve visual comfort, as well as an interesting economic analysis based on the cost-optimal approach.in the Mediterranean area, where usually the balanced requirement for heating and cooling energy does not usually permit a high level of envelope insulation, in order to avoid summer overheating. This topical sSpecial iIssue of Energies is dedicated to the "High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives" and collects contributions with studies related to the assessment and evaluation of systems and technologies for building energy management and control in the Mediterranean climate, with the aimed at the of optimization ofing the building--plant system and the reductiong of energy use. This collection of papers presents the latest research results related to the topic; these articles offering valuable insights on into the energy simulation of highly efficient buildings, proposeing innovative envelope solutions, such as green roofs, Trombe wWalls, and PCM, and investigateing the use of renewable sources such as photovoltaics systems. The topics also investigate include the innovative use and control of Vvenetian blinds and fixed solar shadeings in order to reduce energy consumption and preserve visual comfort, and finally proposing alsoas well as an interesting economic analysis based on the cost-optimal approach.The building sector requires a considerable amount of energy for services related to annual air-conditioning and the thermal comfort of indoor spaces. The design of highly efficient low-energy buildings is often a challenging task, especially in the Medite