Preface

The building industry has been undergoing significant changes in the last decades. Traditionally labeled as unproductive and inefficient, it is evolving into a more environmentally conscious economic sector, and energy efficiency is one of the main vectors of this transformation. In this context, Zero-Energy Buildings were born as a technological paradigm, a building that virtually uses no energy, through a combination of advanced insulation systems and locally produced renewable energy. This concept has been exported to many countries that are facing the challenge of reducing the energy consumption of their building stock, although not without controversy; its adaptation to different social, economic, and cultural contexts is not always a one-way process. This book aims at providing a broad view of the variegated facets of zero-energy buildings by compiling experiences from scholars with different backgrounds.

The book is organized into three main sections. Section 1 is the implementation of zero-energy buildings in different contexts, in which contributing authors shed light on the numerous challenges that these technologies face when being adapted to local contexts. Section 2 is on renewable energy, which provides insights into the integration of solar radiation and natural ventilation into the design process. Section 3 is sustainable materials, which presents research focused on the improvement of the thermophysical properties of cement and concrete, with the ultimate aim of improving the insulation levels of the thermal envelope.

It is expected that this book will be of use to scholars, researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of energy-efficient architectural design whose particular interest pertains to zero-energy buildings. The variegated contributions assure a plurality of perspectives that aims at enriching its conception, not so much as an unmuted product exported to foreign contexts, but as a flexible concept that may be impregnated with different technologies and be able to accommodate the particularities of countries and people in terms of their social and cultural context.

This book has been possible thanks to the significant contribution of the authors, to whom the editors would like to express their sincere gratitude for their effort, especially during these uncertain times that have put on hold many of our research achievements. Lastly, the editor would like to thank the relentless effort and continuous support of their colleagues. Despite being in distant corners of the world, the millenary city of Cadiz in Spain, the always green and lively city of Concepción in Chile, and Tokyo in Japan, the city that never stops amazing, they have managed to complete this book, which will be one of many projects to come in the future.
