Decarbonizing buildings with autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC): climate-specific meta-analysis of global performance

The building sector, which accounts for 40% of global energy consumption and 36% of CO₂ emissions, requires immediate access to scalable low-carbon materials. The theoretical thermal advantages of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) remain incomplete because field performance reports show inconsistent results between 15% and 50% energy savings, and multiple unaddressed implementation challenges have prevented its strategic adoption. The systematic review used worldwide climate-based empirical data to resolve existing performance discrepancies and develop practical implementation strategies. The meta-analysis of 12 studies comprising 847 dwelling units, assessed using CASP and ROBINS-I quality tools, showed that energy savings depend on climate zone: hot-arid zones achieving 48.3% (95% CI: 42.1–54.5%), cold-temperate zones 32.7% (27.3–38.1%), and hot-humid zones 28.4% (22.9–33.9%). The strongest predictor of performance was cooling degree days (β = 0.0089, p < 0.001), while implementation quality explained 26% of performance variation. Economic modelling revealed median payback periods from 4.2 years (hot-arid) to 9.7 years (cold-temperate), with a 78–92% probability of positive lifetime returns. Carbon pricing at $50/tCO₂ reduces payback by 23%. The research develops a climate-oriented analytical system that analyses performance variations to help designers and policymakers achieve maximum AAC decarbonization results by combining environmental data with system information and financial metrics.