Review on the recent progress of nearly zero energy building frontiers in China

Energy efficiency improvement in Chinese construction has progressed rapidly over the past two decades. Nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs), as an integrated solution for energy-efficient construction, have gained significant attention during China’s 13th Five-Year Plan period, with continuous maturation of the technical system. In this study, a research framework built upon the accomplishments of China’s National Key Research and Development Program is developed, and an in-depth analysis of the most cutting-edge research is provided by thoroughly reviewing the work conducted earlier. Developing NZEB in China has been categorized into three stages based on the characteristics of technological development: (1) definition and standards, (2) demonstration and promotion, and (3) cross-domain integration. This study discerns four noteworthy development trends by examining comprehensive data spanning the last decade from 100 NZEB and zero energy building. Further, a comprehensive analysis of essential technology advancements in line with these identified trends is performed. The issues and challenges arising from the increased application of renewable energy in the context of China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals have also been discussed. Finally, based on this analysis, the challenges and corresponding suggestions for future research directions were proposed to help guide future studies exploring emerging trends in the NZEB field.