Aspects and perspectives for the Zero Energy Buildings

The most important problem for a buildingnowadays is the energy and how someone canachieve to reserve it. There is a relation betweenenvironment, energy and economy and the researchto solve the energy problem is continuouslyexpanding through new design ideas, newand smart materials and cost effective energysystems. The bioclimatic design and passive energysystems, the solar thermal collectors andphotovoltaics, the use of biomass and the smallwind turbines are some of the ways to solve theenergy problem of the buildings. The ZeroEnergy Building is a goal that scientists are tryingto achieve and various concepts in this wayhave been made until now with different results,every time of course, but based on the sameprinciples. The transformation of the buildingfrom a conventional design regarding energyuse to a non-conventional building generally isalways the first goal. Since the idea of usingsystems based on the Renewable EnergySources (R.E.S.) has become the axis of the energysolution, a lot of buildings have been constructedusing those systems. Several steps havebeen done for the understanding of RES andtheir use on the buildings and architects andother scientists have a very important role tothis aim. The work that is presented in this paperincludes a review of the studies and projectsthat are reported until now for the Zero EnergyBuildings. The parameters that are involved inthe energy efficient design of buildings as thesunlight, natural ventilation, etc and the availableas well as the promising building integratedRES technologies are analyzed. The perspectivesfor the Zero Energy Buildings and the keyissues that are related with financial and socialsubjects for the understanding of how importantis the use of such systems in the future is alsoincluded.