Energy Efficiency of Tall Buildings: A Global Snapshot of Innovative Design

Design priorities for tall and supertall buildings have for some time shifted to achieving more energy efficiency to address the energy needs of the increasing global population. Engineers and architects aim to achieve energy conservation through active and passive approaches, pursuing technological innovations and adopting climate-responsive design. Because of the green movement currently dominating the building industry, tall buildings that need a massive amount of energy to build and operate, and the practical desire to switch from non-renewable to clean renewable energy resources, intense attention has been given to the energy efficiency of tall buildings in the recent past. Due to the vast array of energy-efficient design features, equipment, and applications available now, it is timely to examine the pros and cons of these issues. This review paper is an attempt to comprehensively present and deliberate these issues. It illustrates and discusses the concepts and applications through a few case studies from several continents worldwide. The review shows that the design of tall buildings focusing on energy conservation is an evolutionary process and there is a need for further research about how to face the associated challenges to improve energy efficiency by developing creative solutions and strategies, as well as applying additional innovative technologies.