Self-powered and self-purifying building envelopes: Progress, challenges, and future perspectives

Yu Qian; Ji Jie; Suyue Xu; Yifei Gao; Ziheng Li; Hengmin Jia; Yan Mu

doi:10.65582/gti.2026.005

Authors

Yu Qian Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Ji Jie Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Suyue Xu Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Yifei Gao Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Ziheng Li Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Hengmin Jia Department of Infection Control, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Yan Mu Department of Infection Control, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65582/gti.2026.005

Keywords:

solar energy, Multi-functional energy utilization, Air purification, Bioaerosol, Thermal disinfection, BIPVT

Abstract

Self-powered and self-purifying building envelopes enable the simultaneous utilization of renewable energy and indoor air purification without external energy input, offering dual benefits in reducing building energy consumption and improving indoor air quality. This concept aligns well with the post-pandemic demand for integrated strategies addressing both building energy efficiency and bioaerosol control. In recent years, preliminary progress has been made in terms of technical pathway exploration and system feasibility demonstration. However, existing studies remain largely fragmented, and a comprehensive and systematic review of the research landscape and key scientific challenges is still lacking. This paper presents a systematic review of recent advances in self-powered and self-purifying building envelopes, with a particular focus on three aspects: microbial inactivation mechanisms, system modeling approaches, and system optimization strategies. Based on the reviewed literature, future research directions are further summarized and discussed, including the development of bacterial and viral multi-parameter inactivation models under coupled environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet irradiation), the advancement of multi-level modeling and solution frameworks to balance computational efficiency and physical fidelity, and the systematic evaluation of system applicability across different climate zones and building types to elucidate the synergistic mechanisms between system configuration and operational optimization. This review aims to provide a unified research framework and reference for mechanism studies, model development, and system design of self-powered and self-purifying building envelopes, thereby supporting their further technological development and practical implementation.