An Up-to-Date Review of Passive Building Envelope Technologies for Sustainable Design

Abstract

A primary driving force of today’s urban environment is the development or enhancement of building stock with a focus on minimizing its environmental footprint, eliminating its dependence on fossil fuels, enforcing its energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, and helping alleviate climate change. Therefore, in the present study, an up-to-date review regarding the passive building retrofitting techniques for sustainable and energy efficiency design is conducted. Numerous passive building solutions and design concepts are thoroughly examined in terms of innovation and energy-saving potential. The examined techniques include novel thermal insulation materials, innovative windows systems, high thermal mass technologies, optically advanced coatings appropriate for cooling abatement, and various energy-efficient bioclimatic designs, for instance, shading techniques, mechanical ventilation in combination with heat recovery, and green roofs and façades. The scope of the present review is to thoroughly and comparatively investigate passive building energy retrofit solutions as presented in the recent scientific literature mainly within the last five or up to ten years. The passive, energy-mitigating solutions are examined in terms of energy savings primarily in residential buildings, but also in tertiary buildings, as well as of specific investment costs. Lastly, an extensive discussion evaluating the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the examined passive envelope technologies is conducted, allowing a comprehensive and multilevel comparison.