Thermal Inertia and Energy Behavior of Buildings: A Global Bibliometric Analysis.

Abstract

The rapid growth of cities worldwide—expected to involve nearly 70% of the global population by 2050—means an increased need for energy, water, and resources, especially in the largest urban centers. Since buildings use a significant portion of energy and contribute notably to carbon emissions, making them more efficient is essential in our efforts to fight climate change. In this context, thermal inertia plays an important role because it influences how buildings respond to their environment and how effectively they can handle external weather changes. By improving thermal inertia, we can significantly reduce energy consumption and minimize the environmental impact of our buildings.

This study aims to provide a bibliometric knowledge map of thermal inertia and its effects on habitats, energy behavior, and building energy efficiency. Using a dataset of 171 journal articles indexed in the Scopus database, this analysis applies bibliographic coupling to titles, abstracts, keywords, and conceptual frameworks. The results reveal three main research themes: thermal inertia, energy behavior, and energy efficiency, and highlight the use of VOSviewer and Bibliometrix for trend analysis.

The most significant results are that research on thermal inertia in buildings has accelerated since 2010 in response to climate policies, focused on a few key journals and regions, such as Southern Europe and China, and developed into three main themes connecting thermal inertia, energy behavior, and energy efficiency. The results also show a strong scientific activity, mainly around studies on thermal bridges, modeling the dynamic behavior of walls, and improving energy efficiency through envelope optimization. However, the study points out several important gaps: the limited use of renewable energy in thermal inertia studies, the lack of economic and life-cycle approaches, and the absence of interdisciplinary work linking engineering, health, and energy policy. These gaps suggest future research directions for creating resilient, cost-effective, and carbon-neutral buildings.