Building cooling and heating accounts for a large portion of total global energy use and requires commensurate amounts of resources, which contribute significantly to global warming. Traditionally, addressing this issue has meant improving the efficiency of equipment supplying the thermal energy, reducing envelope heat transfer, and reducing air infiltration. However, this approach is already reaching practical limits. In this perspective, we explore (1) how to reduce thermal load in buildings theoretically and (2) how to achieve that reduction and dramatically lower the energy required to support building loads practically. First, we discuss our framework developed for calculating the theoretical minimum thermal load (TMTL) in buildings. Our analysis shows that current thermal loads in buildings are more than an order of magnitude higher than the TMTL. We also introduce an approximate formula to calculate energy savings from zonal control of thermal load, which shows that the majority of zonal control benefits can be achieved with fewer than 10 zones. Then, we discuss pros and cons of various approaches and strategies to achieve the TMTL. We conclude our perspective with some longer-term R&D ideas, such as thermally adaptive clothing and thermal storage to help approach the TMTL, while providing the additional benefit of interacting with the renewable grid of the future.

建筑物的制冷和供暖占全球能源总使用量的很大一部分，并且需要相当数量的资源，这对全球变暖做出了巨大贡献。传统上，解决此问题意味着提高设备提供热能的效率，减少包壳的热传递并减少空气的渗透。但是，这种方法已经达到实际极限。从这个角度出发，我们探索（1）如何从理论上减少建筑物中的热负荷，以及（2）如何实现这种减少并大幅降低实际支持建筑物负荷所需的能量。首先，我们讨论我们为计算建筑物的理论最小热负荷（TMTL）而开发的框架。我们的分析表明，建筑物中当前的热负荷比TMTL高出一个数量级。我们还引入了一个近似公式，可以通过对热负荷的分区控制来计算节能量，该公式表明，只有不到10个分区才能实现大部分分区控制的好处。然后，我们讨论了实现TMTL的各种方法和策略的利弊。我们以一些较长期的研发思想来总结我们的观点，例如采用热适应性服装和蓄热技术来帮助接近TMTL，同时提供与未来可再生电网互动的额外好处。然后，我们讨论了实现TMTL的各种方法和策略的利弊。我们以一些较长期的研发思想来总结我们的观点，例如采用热适应性服装和蓄热技术来帮助接近TMTL，同时提供与未来可再生电网互动的额外好处。然后，我们讨论了实现TMTL的各种方法和策略的利弊。我们以一些较长期的研发思想来总结我们的观点，例如采用热适应性服装和蓄热技术来帮助接近TMTL，同时提供与未来可再生电网互动的额外好处。