Annex 44 - Responsive Building Elements (RBE) : a State-of-the-art Review

Responsive Building Elements (RBE), as defined in International Energy Agency - Annex 44,are building construction components which are actively used for transfer and storage ofheat, light, water and air. These construction elements (like floors, walls, roofs, foundationetc.) are logically and rationally combined and integrated with building service functions suchas heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. The development, application andimplementation of responsive building elements are considered to be a necessary steptowards further energy efficiency improvements in the built environment. This paper willpresent and discuss the results of the state-of-the-art review on RBE performed during thefirst year of activities of the Annex 44, and highlights existing applications, availability andsuitability of design tools for the estimate of environmental performance of responsivebuilding elements.