Nearly Zero-energy and positive-energy buildings: status and trendsNearly Zero-energy and positive-energy buildings: status and trends Κεφάλαιο σε Βιβλίο Book Chapter 2024-11-052022enThe building sector is responsible for a significant share of the global energy consumption (almost 40%) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (one-third of the total). Nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) and positive-energy building (PEB) are eco-friendly concepts aimed at reducing energy consumption, GHGs, and energy-related costs with due attention to indoor environmental quality and comfort. To solve the “trilemma” of energy, decarbonization (sustainability), and affordability, several definitions, standards, and policies for high-performance buildings have been developed at the international level. Indeed, the concepts of NZEB and PEB have been highly publicized in the European Union, the UK, and in some US states, among others as a possible strategy to achieve sustainable urban development, although there is no clear universal definition and homogeneous targets. This chapter attempts to answer the following main questions: (i) What are the principles and the definitions of NZEB and PEB? (ii) What is the state of the art of NZEB and PEB?s (iii) What are the main international regulations, roadmaps, and trends for the future of high-performing buildings? Regardless of the particular definition, energy-efficient solutions and renewable energies are critical in curbing the building's energy consumption as well as the total energy intensity, with design-specific impacts on embodied energy and investment costs. The design strategies for high-performance buildings are discussed in this chapter including (i) energy-efficient solutions for building energy conservation, (ii) renewable energy technologies for energy generation, and (iii) building automation and electronic monitoring for energy flexibility and comfort. Critical issues and practical experiences are harmonized to draw strategic lessons and inspirations toward a more sustainable built environment. Notably, a collection of international case studies and research projects dealing with zero-energy buildings or renewable energy communities is reported. This chapter concludes by looking at the envisioned transition from NZEBs to the larger net zero-energy settlements and positive-energy districts (PEDs) scale to take advantage of a greater scalability potential, renewable energy harnessing capacity (sometimes impractical for individual buildings), higher aggregate energy efficiency, and economy of scale. Some important challenges in deploying PEDs will be mentioned, such as regulatory framework, standardization, energy systems integration, citizen participation, education and training, and business and sustainable funding models.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/1Technologies for Integrated Energy Systems and Networks Kolokotsa Dionysia Κολοκοτσα Διονυσια Pignatta, Gloria Ulpiani Giulia Wiley Sustainable built environment Building energy efficiency Renewable energy systems Demand response management Building automation