Green building is an important measure to deal with energy and environment problems in the construction sector of the world. In this study, knowledge mapping analysis is used, and 3,060 articles are selected for further study (1900–2019). Based on CiteSpace (5.3.R4 SE 64-bit), the knowledge base, hot topics and research trends of green-building-related research are presented. The key highlights of the overall analysis results are: (1) Research on green buildings has received more extensive attention in the 21st century.

Improving energy efficiency has long been advocated as a way to increase the productivity and sustainability of society, primarily through the delivery of energy savings. The impact of energy efficiency measures can go far beyond energy savings, and energy efficiency improvements can be an important contributor to economic growth and social development.

The untapped / hidden benefits of environmental policies are huge, this piece of research showcases and places a monetary value on the added benefits to our health, society and the economy that environmental investments and policy linked to energy efficiency can bring. Findings show that green policies can improve both our health and the economy and can go hand-in-hand. This study provides guidance to policy and decision-makers in developing a methodology for the inclusion of multiple benefits in a cost/benefit assessment of energy efficiency policy.

Clean power production, buildings, and transportation are key areas for climate change mitigation. Their tighter integration decreases not only the emissions, but also the energy consumption of buildings and transportation. Energy integration and interactions between buildings and vehicles are dependent on the type of building, vehicle, and renewable energy system, as well as the local climatic conditions. The current academic literature does not provide a systematic analysis of this topic.