Net Zero Energy Building

Ming Hu's research interest has always focused on the intersection of sustainable technologies and building systems. More specifically, Hu has concentrated on how to incorporate the life cycle perspective and assessment in the early design stage, and has also used a quantitative method to predicate and simulate buildings’ performance and related impact on the environment and human health. Ming Hu's first book, Net Zero Building: Predicated and Unintended Consequences (2019), was an effort to go beyond current and well-known research on net-zero building to critically examine overall energy consumption and a carbon emissions reduction from a whole building life cycle perspective. The book presents a holistic overview of different net-zero building approaches and their related consequences, both positive and unintended. It also proposes an important conceptual framework to define net-zero impact building, which represents a step above current net-zero energy building. Currently, Hu has three main research focuses: Net zero impact building, Life cycle assessment, and smart technologies and healthy built environment.