ABSTRACT
The potential threat of global climate change, increasing energy demand of the developing world, and inevitably, although not rapidly, diminishing fossil fuel resources have made sustainable energy supply a planetary issue that has to be addressed by literally every sector of human life. At the same time buildings continue to play a significant role in the global energy balance. Typically they account for some 20–30% of the total primary energy requirements of industrialized countries. With increasing awareness of the ecological consequences of energy consumption, the need for energy and environment conscious building design has become more and more pressing.
