TY - JOUR
KW - Digital technology
KW - Low carbon building
KW - Renewable energy integration
KW - Carbon cost optimization
KW - Three-dimensional framework
KW - Empowering mechanism
AU - Hui Liu
AU - Xuan Chen
AU - Youwen Hu
AU - Baoquan Cheng
AU - Mirosław Skibniewski
AB - Building with low carbon emissions (low carbon building, LCB) is crucial for the construction industry’s green transition. With digital technologies (DTs) playing an increasingly pivotal role in decarbonizing the construction sector, this study explores how DTs empower LCB to reduce global CO2 emissions. To objectively identify the core gaps of existing research, this study first conducts a preliminary scoping review of 1476 peer-reviewed articles, adopting a two-step inductive approach to reveal three dominant knowledge gaps: (1) stage-agnostic analytical bias, (2) qualitative mechanism limitation, and (3) disconnected renewable energy integration. Guided by these empirically validated gaps, a three-dimensional conceptual framework (LCB solutions-digital functions-building life-cycle stages) was developed, followed by a mixed-methods systematic review (bibliometric analysis and qualitative content coding) of 73 core peer-reviewed articles. The results indicate that: (1) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) stand as the two dominant DTs driving LCB; (2) six core quantified empowering mechanisms are identified, with tangible benefits including a 15%-20% reduction in unnecessary electricity consumption (Internet of Things-based systems) and 18% carbon emission reduction (BIM-Life cycle assessment integration); (3) the proposed framework realizes stage-specific DT-LCB matching while integrating renewable energy synergy and carbon cost optimization. Findings provide stage-specific technical benchmarks for practitioners, targeted incentives for policymakers, and practice-driven research and development guidance for technology developers, advancing beyond fragmented DT applications to systematic, quantified, renewable energy-integrated empowerment that bridges theory–practice gaps.
BT - Energy and Buildings
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2026.117490
N2 - Building with low carbon emissions (low carbon building, LCB) is crucial for the construction industry’s green transition. With digital technologies (DTs) playing an increasingly pivotal role in decarbonizing the construction sector, this study explores how DTs empower LCB to reduce global CO2 emissions. To objectively identify the core gaps of existing research, this study first conducts a preliminary scoping review of 1476 peer-reviewed articles, adopting a two-step inductive approach to reveal three dominant knowledge gaps: (1) stage-agnostic analytical bias, (2) qualitative mechanism limitation, and (3) disconnected renewable energy integration. Guided by these empirically validated gaps, a three-dimensional conceptual framework (LCB solutions-digital functions-building life-cycle stages) was developed, followed by a mixed-methods systematic review (bibliometric analysis and qualitative content coding) of 73 core peer-reviewed articles. The results indicate that: (1) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) stand as the two dominant DTs driving LCB; (2) six core quantified empowering mechanisms are identified, with tangible benefits including a 15%-20% reduction in unnecessary electricity consumption (Internet of Things-based systems) and 18% carbon emission reduction (BIM-Life cycle assessment integration); (3) the proposed framework realizes stage-specific DT-LCB matching while integrating renewable energy synergy and carbon cost optimization. Findings provide stage-specific technical benchmarks for practitioners, targeted incentives for policymakers, and practice-driven research and development guidance for technology developers, advancing beyond fragmented DT applications to systematic, quantified, renewable energy-integrated empowerment that bridges theory–practice gaps.
PY - 2026
EP - 117490
T2 - Energy and Buildings
TI - Systematic integration and quantitative benchmarking of digital technologies empowering low carbon building: a three-dimensional analytical framework
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778826005505
VL - 361
SN - 0378-7788
ER -