Approaches to achieving net zero energy-carbon buildings through innovative technologies: A bibliographic perspective

Building sector emissions account for approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and 36% of final energy consumption worldwide, making the transition to net zero energy-carbon buildings crucial for addressing climate change. While technological solutions exist, their effective implementation requires comprehensive understanding of available innovations and emerging trends. This paper uses VOSviewer software to analyze and synthesize technological approaches for achieving net zero energy-carbon buildings through a systematic bibliometric analysis of research published between 2000 and 2024. To achieve this, 4000 articles for each keyword, combining the 2000 most cited and 2000 most recent papers from the Scopus database are examined. Temporal analysis demonstrated a significant shift in research focus from zero-energy to zero-carbon buildings post-2019, coinciding with stricter emission regulations. Research trends evolved from basic technologies like electrochromic windows to sophisticated solutions including artificial intelligence and digital twins. The findings identified critical research gaps in different fields like “smart power grids” and utilizing “blockchain” for reducing carbon emissions. Results also showed that patents submitted for novel technologies related to “zero energy-carbon building” had a sharp increase from 2016 because of Paris agreement. This review provides valuable guidance for researchers and policymakers by mapping the technological landscape and identifying forgotten directions for future innovation in achieving zero energy-carbon buildings. The results of this study indicate that there are significant research gaps concerning the integration of digital twins and carbon capture within zero energy-carbon buildings. • Analyzing and synthesizing the various technological approaches to achieving net-zero energy-carbon buildings. • Merging the study of zero-energy and zero-carbon buildings and providing an updated analysis including research gaps and trends. • Addressing critical gaps in current understanding while highlighting promising directions for future technological innovation in the field. • Delving into research trends, analyzing technological breakthroughs, and identifying the challenges faced in implementing new solutions. • Providing crucial insights to guide future efforts in this critical area.