Zero carbon refurbishment for existing buildings: A literature review

Abstract The need to mitigate climate change calls for the construction industry to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for new and existing buildings by 2050. Zero carbon refurbishment (ZCR) for existing buildings is a significant area of interest, as many existing buildings will still be there in 2050. This paper investigates the global development, knowledge structure and gaps in the research field by conducting a systematic literature review. The final selection of 147 up-to-date journal articles was analysed using mixed-method data analysis, including quantitative (science mapping) and qualitative (thematic) analysis. Quantitative results reveal evolving research topics including energy performance and efficiency, life cycle environmental impacts, energy resources and policy, and decision-making with multi-objective optimisation. Research in ZCR is well-established in European countries and there is much interest and activity around the world. ZCR research on residential and office buildings provokes much consideration compared to other building types. The qualitative findings discuss the mainstream research areas (e.g. decision-making with multi-objective optimisation), determines research gaps (e.g. carbon impact), and recommends the future research agenda. The study offers academics a comprehensive understanding of ZCR research to link current research areas into future trends. It also provides construction professionals with current practices and an interdisciplinary guide to better deliver ZCR projects.