Low-energy buildings, which include zero-energy buildings, passive houses and green buildings, may use any of a large number of techniques to lower energy use.
The following are some of the techniques used to achieve low-energy buildings, which excludes energy generation (microgeneration).
Improvements to building envelope Active daylighting Barra system Brise soleil Cool roof and green roof Daylighting Double envelope house Earth sheltering Energy plus house Fluorescent lighting, compact fluorescent lamp, and LED lighting Green building and wood History of passive solar building design Low-energy house Passive daylighting Passive house Passive solar Passive solar building design Quadruple glazing Solar energy Superinsulation Sustainable architecture Sustainability Trombe wall Windcatcher Zero energy building Zero heating building
Improvements to heating, cooling, ventilation and water heating Absorption refrigerator Annualized geothermal solar Earth cooling tubes Geothermal heat pump Heat recovery ventilation Hot water heat recycling Passive cooling Renewable heat Seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) Solar air conditioning Solar hot water
Energy rating systems
EnerGuide (Canada) Home energy rating (US) House Energy Rating (Australia) LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design National Home Energy Rating (UK)