This Special Issue “Evaluation of Energy Efficiency and Flexibility in Smart Buildings” addresses the relevant role of buildings as strategic instruments to improve the efficiency and flexibility of the overall energy system. This role of the built environment is not yet fully developed and exploited and the book content contributes to increasing the general awareness of achievable benefits. In particular, different topics are discussed, such as optimal control, innovative efficient technologies, methodological approaches, and country analysis about energy efficiency and energy flexibility potential of the built environment. The Special Issue offers valuable insights into the most recent research developments worldwide.

This Special Issue “Evaluation of Energy Efficiency and Flexibility in Smart Buildings” addresses the relevant role of buildings as strategic instruments to improve the efficiency and flexibility of the overall energy system. This role of the built environment is not yet fully developed and exploited and the book content contributes to increasing the general awareness of achievable benefits. In particular, different topics are discussed, such as optimal control, innovative efficient technologies, methodological approaches, and country analysis about energy efficiency and energy flexibility potential of the built environment. The Special Issue offers valuable insights into the most recent research developments worldwide.

This book focuses on near-zero energy buildings (NZEBs), smart communities and microgrids. In this context, demand response (DR) is associated with significant environmental and economic benefits when looking at how electricity grids, communities and buildings can operate optimally. In DR, the consumer becomes a prosumer with an important active role in the exchange of energy on an hourly basis. DR is gradually gaining ground with respect to the reduction of peak loads, grid balancing and dealing with the volatility of renewable energy sources (RES). This transition calls for high environmental awareness and new tools or services that will improve the dynamic as well as secure multidirectional exchange of energy and data. Overall, DR is identified as an important field for technological and market innovations aligned with climate change mitigation policies and the transition to sustainable smart grids in the foreseeable future. Smart Buildings, Smart Communities and Demand Response provides an insight into various intrinsic aspects of DR potential, at the building and the community level.

There is widespread interest in the way that smart energy control systems, such as assessment and monitoring techniques for low carbon, nearly-zero energy and net positive buildings can contribute to a Sustainable future, for current and future generations. There is a turning point on the horizon for the supply of energy from finite resources such as natural gas and oil become less reliable in economic terms and extraction become more challenging, and more unacceptable socially, such as adverse public reaction to ‘fracking’. Thus, in 2016 these challenges are having a major influence on the design, optimisation, performance measurements, operation and preservation of: buildings, neighbourhoods, cities, regions, countries and continents. The source and nature of energy, the security of supply and the equity of distribution, the environmental impact of its supply and utilization, are all crucial matters to be addressed by suppliers, consumers, governments, industry, academia, and financial institutions. This book entitled ‘Smart Energy Control Systems for Sustainable Buildings’ contains eleven chapters written by international experts based on enhanced conference papers presented at the Sustainability and Energy in Buildings International conference series. This book will be of interest to University staff and students; and also industry practioners.

The text begins by discussing the sustainable buildings, energy efficient technologies, advanced materials, advances in renewable energy for building sector, green intelligent infrastructure, policies on sustainable infrastructure, and life cycle assessment. It further presents design considerations, challenges, and applications of net zero energy buildings with a global perspective. The book covers renewable energy technologies for energy-efficient buildings. This book: Discusses the importance of developing new materials for Energy and Heat Transfer Optimization in sustainable buildings and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Building Materials. Investigates the city gas system, sustainable smart cities infrastructure, and Data Mining Techniques in Green Building for Evaluation of energy Cost, Grades and Adoption. Highlights the development and application Net Zero Energy Buildings, Energy Policies and Infrastructure Requirements, Building Performance Prediction & Optimization, and Energy Planning and Thermal Comfort in Buildings Presents renewable energy policies, Social, Economic, and Environmental Issues Associated with Sustainable Buildings, and Emerging Trends in Smart Green Building Technologies. Covers Energy-Efficient Urban Infrastructure, Earth-Air Heat Exchanger, and Retrofitting of existing buildings to achieve energy efficient buildings. It is primarily written for senior undergraduates, graduate students, and academic researchers in the fields of energy engineering, environmental science and engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering.