Low-energy building

thumb|alt=Rock garden with aged clay wall in the background|Zen garden of [[Ryōan-ji, built during the Higashiyama period. The clay wall, stained with subtle brown and orange tones, reflects principles, while the rock garden reflects principles.]] thumb|alt=Traditional tea house in a garden|A Japanese tea house reflecting the aesthetic in Garden thumb|alt=Black raku ware tea bowl with rough texture| tea bowl, Azuchi–Momoyama period, 16th century

architecture designed to minimize environmental and resource impact

thumb |An ab anbar (water reservoir) with windcatchers (openings near the top of the towers) in the central desert city of [[Yazd, Iran]] thumb |Aghazadeh Mansion in Abarkooh, [[Iran, has an elaborate 18-m windtower with two levels of openings, plus some smaller windtowers.]]

house that does not require fossil energy supply

construction element consisting of at least two glass plates for windows and other glazing

area or component of an object which has higher thermal conductivity than the surrounding materials

energy efficiency standard for buildings

architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space and the ecosystem at large

architectural element that transmits light for the purpose of illumination

municipal library in Helsinki, Finland

architectural feature that reduces heat gain within a building by deflecting sunlight

any type of house that uses less energy than a traditional or average contemporary house

District of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

edifices with surplus electricity

ventilation using solar energy

any cooling method that facilitates heat dissipation without additional energy input

building desgined to be independent from public infrastructure

thumb|upright=1.3|A house using solar panels and [[rainwater harvesting]]Off-the-grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings and a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. The term "off-the-grid" traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical grid, but can also include other utilities like water, gas, and sewer systems, and can scale from residential homes to small communities. Off-the-grid living allows for buildings and people to be self-sufficient, which is advantageous in isolated locations where normal utilities can

thumb|400px|Types of recuperator, or cross plate heat exchanger A recuperator is a counter-flow energy recovery heat exchanger that recovers waste heat in the supply and exhaust air streams of an air-handling system or in the exhaust gases of an industrial process. Generally, they extract heat from the exhaust and use it to preheat air entering the combustion system, reducing the need for fuel and boosting the system's energy efficiency.

form of climate engineering

ventilation system that recovers energy by operating between two air sources at different temperatures

building in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

underground heat exchanger loop that can capture or dissipate heat to or from the ground

thumb|Spherical awning of a Bandstand|bandshell An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a light structure of aluminium, iron or steel, possibly wood or transparent material (used to cover solar thermal panels in the summer, but that must allow as much light as possible in the winter). The configuration of this structure is something of a truss, space frame or planar frame. Awnings are also often c

thumb|300px|The passivhaus standard combines superinsulation with other techniques and technologies to achieve ultra-low energy use. Superinsulation is an approach to building design, construction, and retrofitting that dramatically reduces heat loss (and gain) by using much higher insulation levels and airtightness than average. Superinsulation is one of the ancestors of the passive house approach.

utilisation of the thermal energy contained in the wastewater

increase in thermal energy of a space, object or structure as it absorbs incident solar radiation

replication of aspects of building performance

eco-centre in Powys, mid-Wales, UK, demonstrating and teaching sustainable development

designing buildings to use the sun's heat and light

Zimbabwean shopping and office building

use of sunlight for air heating with a solar thermal collector

energy-saving district in Linz-Pichling, Austria

room air distribution strategy where conditioned outdoor air is supplied at a low velocity from air supply diffusers located near floor level and extracted above the occupied zone, usually at ceiling height

application of renewable energy

software to monitor and optimize energy consumption in buildings or communities

air distribution strategy for providing ventilation and space conditioning