Smart materials in building façades: A systematic review of applications and impacts on energy efficiency
Fathi, Soheil Fakhraeimanesh, Sepideh
Fathi, Soheil
Fakhraeimanesh, Sepideh
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Publication Date
2025-09-04
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journal article
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Fathi, Soheil, & Fakhraeimanesh, Sepideh. (2025). Smart materials in building façades: A systematic review of applications and impacts on energy efficiency. Energy Reports, 14, 2123-2140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2025.08.042
Abstract
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is associated with several factors, all of which are related to occupant comfort within buildings. One of the most critical components of the buildings is building façade, which serves as the boundary between the indoor and outdoor environment. This paper presents a systematic review to investigate the application of high-tech materials – also known as smart materials in both transparent and opaque elements of building facades. To achieve the objectives of this study, we developed a structured systematic review to identify the relevant studies. Using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 157 records were identified as relevant studies. These studies were then classified based on their focus on IEQ factors, including thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ). In the next step, details of research methodologies used in the reviewed studies – such as the simulation software employed – were reported. Furthermore, the total number of studies that applied smart materials to different parts of the building façade was presented, distinguishing between passive and active technologies. Finally, the impacts of these materials on overall energy consumption, heating demand, and cooling demand were discussed. Among passive measures, low-emissivity (low-E) windows were identified as effective in reducing total energy use, heating load, and cooling load. For active measures, photovoltaic (PV) systems in both transparent and opaque façade elements, as along with electrochromic (EC) windows, were found to significantly reduce total energy consumption as well as heating and cooling demands.
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Elsevier
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CC BY