Net-Zero Energy Buildings: Integrating Smart Materials and Passive Design Strategies in Urban Architecture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59675/E223Keywords:
Net-zero energy buildings; Smart materials; Passive design; Building energy efficiency; Phase-change materials.Abstract
Building design and operation are critical in mitigation of climate change since the construction industry contributes about 40 percent of all energy used on the planet and 36 percent of carbon dioxide to the environment. This paper will discuss how smart materials and passive design could be integrated to achieve net-zero energy performance in a building within an urban environment. The study examines the performance of enhanced building envelope technologies such as phase-change materials, electrochromic glazing, and self-healing concrete, as well as the passive design such as natural ventilation, optimization of daylighting, and the use of thermal mass. The evaluation of the energy performance of different climate conditions and designs under different design configurations was done by using building information modeling simulation tools. The discussion shows that the strategic incorporation of phase-change materials in building envelopes may decrease cooling loads by 15-30 percent and optimized passive design techniques may help to reduce energy demands by 40-55 percent, in comparison with the traditional building techniques. Use of self-healing materials makes the structure have a longer service life and less energy is used on the structure due to the maintenance process that has been reduced by approximately 20-35. Regional-responsive architectural methods, which simply considered the local climatic conditions, were discovered to contribute to the overall contribution of the building performance and comfort of occupants as well as reducing the dependency on mechanical systems. These results point to the fact that a thorough approach to integrating smart materials with passive design guidelines with the help of sophisticated simulation and modeling tools offers a good opportunity to reach the net-zero energy goal in urbanistic buildings. Not only does this strategy respond to energy efficiency and carbon goals but also facilitates resiliency, flexibility and sustainability of the built environment.
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