Evaluation of net-zero strategies in shipping container architecture

At least 38% of global greenhouse gases come from buildings. The principal causes include reliance on non-renewable energy sources to power shipping container architecture, which has recently been developed as building modules. The purpose of the study is to evaluate various strategies that can transform shipping container architecture into net-zero energy buildings with a view to determining the most effective and sustainable approach for improved environmental performance. The study was curated as a systematic literature review of 40 selected academic publications from peer-reviewed journals, extracted from Google Scholar, Elsevier Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Springer. Case studies of existing shipping container buildings incorporating these net-zero strategies were also examined. The study reveals that residential buildings have remained the focal point of net-zero energy buildings, while commercial buildings receive insufficient attention despite their high energy consumption. The most effective strategies for attaining net-zero energy performance in shipping container architecture were found to be optimal building orientation and shape, insulation, and passive cooling. User-friendly management systems were also found to increase efficiency. In conclusion, the absence of standardized regulations is the major hindrance to the widespread adoption of net-zero shipping container architecture. However, this can be effectively resolved through supportive policies and collaboration between the built industry professionals and container manufacturers.