Energy efficiency strategies, sustainable technologies, and building performance simulation tools adopted in the construction industry

Increasing global energy consumption and carbon emissions released by buildings are resulting in negative impacts on the environment and the well-being of populations. This research investigated energy-efficiency strategies and relevant technologies used to conserve energy resources and develop sustainable solutions for the residential building sector’s decarbonization. A literature review on the themes of energy efficiency strategies adopted in buildings such as building design, renewable energy technologies, and integrated building systems is carried out to identify the common and up-to-date solutions for the built environment along with the tools and software used for building energy performance simulation. Review findings proved that the use of the aforementioned strategies and tools offers energy-saving potential and minimizes carbon release to the environment. It is hoped that adopting energy-efficient strategies and relevant technologies that can be simulated using various tools during design, integration, and operational stages can help with the overall digitalization of the construction sector. This study considered the energy efficiency strategies and relevant technologies and tools adopted and used around the world but also considered the construction industry of the United Kingdom to explore the opportunities for knowledge transfer.