Feng Gao

With the wave of new campus construction gradually receding, the focus of green campus planning and design is shifting toward the low-carbon retrofitting of the existing built environment. University campuses often face challenges such as dispersed land use, inadequate spatial planning, disorganized road layouts, suboptimal landscape design, and low energy efficiency. Grounded in a review of current research on campus carbon emissions, this study integrates green technology indicators with planning and design approaches to establish a multi-scale, context-adaptive planning framework for carbon control, spanning five dimensions: intensive land use, spatial layout, transportation systems, landscape development, and facility integration. Employing a combined approach of bibliometric analysis and case studies, this research examines and compares typical university campuses both domestically and internationally to validate the effectiveness of the synergistic “technology-system-behavior” pathway in mitigating high-carbon lock-in. Through a systematic comparative analysis of representative low-carbon campuses, the synthesized results indicate that under optimal operational conditions, the clustered reorganization of functional zones demonstrates the potential to reduce transportation carbon emissions by approximately 25%; comprehensive retrofitting of building envelopes can decrease building energy consumption intensity by an estimated 30%; a multimodal coordinated transport system can increase the share of non-motorized travel to around 65%; establishing high carbon-sequestration plant communities can enhance carbon sink capacity by up to 30%; and smart facility integration can reduce overall campus carbon emissions by a projected range of 25–40%. It should be noted that these quantitative outcomes represent high-probability potential ranges, with actual performance subject to behavioral and operational fluctuations. This study provides theoretical support and practical pathways for achieving “near-zero carbon campuses” and underscores the important demonstrative role that higher education institutions can play in addressing climate change.

Photovoltaic shading devices (PVSDs) are elements integrated into building facades, offering the potential to reduce building energy demand while regulating indoor daylight. However, current research remains fragmented, which makes it difficult to identify a consistent design strategy and compare outcomes across studies. Therefore, this paper aims to (1) identify the environmental objectives and metrics used to evaluate PVSDs, (2) synthesize the design approaches for fixed and movable PVSDs, and (3) highlight key limitations and research gaps that constrain current practice. The results show a strong emphasis on energy performance analysis, while daylight assessment is less applied, and discomfort glare is rarely quantified. Additionally, comparative evidence indicates that movable PVSDs do not inherently outperform fixed systems. Performance gains primarily depend on geometric configuration, operational strategy, and climate context. Moreover, in the literature, geometric optimization and operational control are frequently investigated separately, limiting the ability to manage trade-offs between energy, daylight, and glare. The review concludes that future studies should adopt more holistic methodologies that couple geometry with operational strategies, incorporate occupant-centric comfort assessment, and enable more consistent cross-study benchmarking.