Sustainable architecture
Architecture designed to minimize environmental impact
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We include updates on Earthship, Biophilic design, Green roof, Green building, Zero-energy building, Brac University, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Natural building, Positive energy district, Passive daytime radiative cooling, Autonomous building, Blue roof, Low-energy house, Enviroboard, Displacement ventilation, Renewable heat ... and more.
| 2025 |
Zero-energy building
South Korea will expand zero-energy construction requirements for private buildings to Gross Floor Areas over 1,000 m2.
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| 2025 | Estimated market size for daytime radiative cooling applications reaches approximately $27 billion, highlighting the growing significance of this sustainable cooling technology in architectural design. |
| 2025 |
Green building certification systems
EcoChef sustainability certification program is launched, targeting commercial kitchens with a focus on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and creating health-conscious cooking environments.
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| 2025 |
Green building certification systems
EcoChef sustainability certification program is launched, providing a specialized green certification system for commercial kitchens with multiple certification levels from Bronze to Platinum.
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| 2025 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
The estimated market size for PDRC applications in indoor space cooling reaches approximately $27 billion, reflecting growing commercial interest and technological development in the field.
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| 2024 |
Zero-energy building
South Korea will apply ZEB requirements to all public buildings.
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| 2024 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
Nissan introduces a innovative paint that can lower car interior temperatures by up to 21 °F in direct sunlight, using two types of particles that reflect and convert light frequencies to radiate energy into space.
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| 2024 |
Drake Landing Solar Community
Decommissioning of the Drake Landing Solar Community began, with the majority of the 52 homes converted to natural gas-fired furnaces due to the high reinvestment costs required to maintain the solar heating system.
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| April 2024 |
Green building
International Energy Agency (IEA) published a report highlighting buildings' energy consumption and future energy demand projections.
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| 2023 |
Zero-energy building
EnergyX opened the first commercial Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) in Korea, the DY-Building, which received ZEB certification with an energy independence rate of 121.7%.
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| 2023 |
Zero-energy building
South Korea mandated ZEB certification for building permits with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) over 100,000 m2.
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| 2023 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A scientific study highlighted the need for developing new flexible cellulose fibrous films with wood-like hierarchical microstructures for wearable passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) applications.
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| 2023 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A research study highlighted the environmental concerns of current Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) materials, emphasizing the need for bio-based renewable materials to address carbon neutrality goals and reduce reliance on non-renewable polymers and synthetic chemicals.
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| 2023 |
Green building
Electric cars reached 20% of total vehicle sales, marking a significant milestone in electric vehicle adoption.
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| July 7 2023 |
Zero-energy building
The Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council agreed to update the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings by the end of 2024, aiming to support the delivery of a low energy, net zero emissions building sector by 2050.
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| 2022 |
Zero-energy building
South Korea expanded ZEB requirements to buildings with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 500 m2 and above.
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| 2022 | A study in Sweden's Kymenlaakso region investigated retrofitting existing apartment buildings in Kotka and Kouvola with Exhaust Air Heat Pump (EAHP) systems, projecting significant carbon emission reductions of 590 tCO2 and 944 tCO2 respectively, with a payoff period of 7-13 years. |
| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A polyacrylate hydrogel film was developed with potential applications in building construction and large-scale thermal management systems, using sodium polyacrylate to achieve high solar reflectance and mid-infrared emittance.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A scientific study investigated passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) surfaces in tropical climates, demonstrating a coating with 98.4% solar reflectance and 95% infrared emittance could achieve a sustained daytime sub-ambient temperature reduction of 2°C in Singapore under direct solar intensity of 1000 W/m².
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study was conducted examining how humidity, vapor concentration, temperature variations, aerosols, and cloud coverage impact the effectiveness of passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) technologies, highlighting the need for adaptable design strategies for radiative coolers.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study reported on the impact of dropwise condensation on the cooling power of selective emitters, revealing that such condensation may reduce sub-ambient cooling power and weaken the expected cooling benefits of selective emitters, particularly for building roof applications.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study was conducted highlighting the lack of sufficient investigation into sustainable materials for radiative cooling, emphasizing the need for biodegradable solutions in the field.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study proposed a full-spectrum synergetic management (FSSM) strategy to cool solar cells by combining radiative cooling and spectral splitting, aiming to enhance radiative heat dissipation and reduce waste heat from sub-bandgap photon absorption.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A research study reported that widespread application of advanced photonic materials for passive daytime radiative cooling is severely restricted due to complex and expensive preparation processes.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study highlighted the advantages of PDRC coatings, emphasizing their strong operability, convenient processing, and potential for large-scale utilization while demonstrating the ability to develop high solar reflectance and heat emissivity in colors other than white.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study assessed the effects of Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) surfaces in winter in the Kolkata metropolitan area, examining both non-modulated and modulated PDRC systems and their impact on ground surface temperatures.
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| 2022 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
Khan et al. concluded that low-cost optically modulated Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) technologies are under development and expected to be commercially available soon, with high potential to reduce urban heat without overcooling penalties.
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| 2022 |
Green building
Boston Consulting Group released a report highlighting that investments in developing greener forms of cement, iron, and steel could lead to significant greenhouse gas reductions, surpassing potential reductions in electricity and aviation sectors.
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| 2022 |
Green building
Heat pump sales tripled compared to 2015 levels, indicating growing adoption of energy-efficient technologies.
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| June 26 2022 |
Solar Decathlon Europe
Solar Decathlon Europe 2021 (SDE21>22) concluded, with Team RoofKIT from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology winning first place.
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| June 10 2022 |
Solar Decathlon Europe
Solar Decathlon Europe 2021 (SDE21>22) began on the Utopiastadt Campus after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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| January 2022 |
Solar Decathlon Europe
The Energy Endeavour Foundation and Solar Decathlon Bucharesti Association jointly decided to close the SDE23 edition due to continued COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
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| 2021 |
Zero-energy building
South Korea implemented mandatory Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) requirements for buildings with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 1,000 m2 and above.
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| 2021 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
Research highlighted technical difficulties in creating scalable films with precise patterns or structures due to complex nanoscale lithography/synthesis and rigidity.
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| 2021 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study recommended focusing PDRC implementation in urban areas on increasing albedo while maintaining emissivity above 90%, providing strategic guidance for urban cooling technologies.
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| 2021 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A research study highlighted the potential of passive radiative cooling structures in personal thermal management technologies as an effective defense against the impacts of global climate change, particularly for protecting humans in extreme heat conditions.
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| 2021 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A research study investigated a composite material of titanium oxide and polylactic acid (TiO2-PLA) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) lamination for passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) applications, using optical and thermal characterization, numerical simulations, and mechanical testing.
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| 2021 |
Green building
First low-cost and sustainable 3D printed house made from a clay-mixture was completed, representing a significant innovation in green building technology.
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| November 18 2021 |
Zero-energy building
California Air Resources Board Southern California Headquarters – Mary D. Nichols Campus dedicated, becoming the largest net-zero energy facility in the United States at 402,000 square feet.
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| April 7 2021 |
Solar Decathlon Europe
Bucharest was officially designated as the Host City for the Solar Decathlon Europe 2023.
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| February 24 2021 |
Zero-energy building
Brazil issued Ordinance No. 42, approving the Inmetro Normative Instruction for the Classification of Energy Efficiency of Commercial, Service and Public Buildings (INI-C). This ordinance improved technical quality requirements for energy efficiency levels and specified criteria for classifying buildings as Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) and Positive Energy Buildings (PEBs).
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| 2020 |
Zero-energy building
European Union set a goal to have all new buildings meet nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) standards by this year, promoting widespread adoption of energy-efficient building technologies.
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| 2020 |
Zero-energy building
According to the IPCC, embodied carbon is projected to make up half of the total carbon emissions between 2020 and 2050, highlighting the growing importance of considering carbon footprint in building design.
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| 2020 |
Zero-energy building
Santa Monica City Services Building completed, becoming one of the first net-zero energy and net-zero water public/municipal buildings in California.
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| 2020 |
Zero-energy building
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping declares China's commitment to become carbon neutral by 2060 during an address to the UN General Assembly, pushing forward climate change reforms.
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| 2020 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A market study estimated the global building surface area for Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) applications at approximately $27 billion, highlighting the growing interest in this technology.
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| 2020 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
Researchers proposed a 'tilt strategy and wind cover strategy' to mitigate wind effects on passive radiative cooling surfaces, demonstrating a significant advancement in understanding how wind impacts cooling technologies.
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| 2020 |
Passive daytime radiative cooling
A study highlighted the challenges of scalable production of artificial photonic radiators with complex structures, noting difficulties in achieving high throughput and low-cost manufacturing.
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| 2020 |
Drake Landing Solar Community
The solar heating system began showing signs of deterioration, resulting in significant maintenance challenges. The Drake Landing Solar Company added system redundancies to ensure continued heat supply to the homes.
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| 2020 |
Green building
The Model Home 2020 project was launched in multiple European countries including Denmark, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, focusing on innovative sustainable housing solutions.
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This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Green building certification systems, Sustainable architecture, Zero-energy building, Passive daytime radiative cooling, Solar Decathlon Europe, Drake Landing Solar Community & Green building, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.