Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twin Technology for Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Buildings: Challenges, Opportunities, and Pathways to Adoption

Digital Twin technology is transforming how buildings are designed, operated, and optimized, serving as a key enabler of smarter, more energy-efficient, and sustainable built environments. By creating dynamic, data-driven virtual replicas of physical assets, Digital Twins support continuous monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimization across a building’s lifecycle. This paper provides a structured review of current developments and future trends in Digital Twin applications within the building sector, particularly highlighting their contribution to decarbonization, operational efficiency, and performance enhancement. The analysis identifies major challenges, including data accessibility, interoperability among heterogeneous systems, scalability limitations, and cybersecurity concerns. It emphasizes the need for standardized protocols and open data frameworks to ensure seamless integration across Building Management Systems (BMSs), Building Information Models (BIMs), and sensor networks. The paper also discusses policy and regulatory aspects, noting how harmonized standards and targeted incentives can accelerate adoption, particularly in retrofit and renovation projects. Emerging directions include Artificial Intelligence integration for autonomous optimization, alignment with circular economy principles, and coupling with smart grid infrastructures. Overall, realizing the full potential of Digital Twins requires coordinated collaboration among researchers, industry, and policymakers to enhance building performance and advance global decarbonization and urban resilience goals.