Feasibility Analysis of Nearly Zero-Energy Building Design Oriented to the Optimization of Thermal Performance Parameters

The effective control and reduction of building energy consumption are major global focuses. The building sector is responsible for over 40% of all direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Nearly zero-energy buildings have been the subject of aims and regulations from several developed nations. An office building located in the severe cold region of China was chosen for this case study. The building was equipped with multiple NZEB technologies. Building indoor environment parameters and energy efficiency indexes were used as performance targets, and a performance-based design approach was used to optimize building design parameters. Thermal performance of the building envelope, airtightness, energy demand, and indoor thermal environment were tested according to different evaluation criteria. The total energy demand was as low as 53.93 KWh/(m2·a), and this can be attributed to the exceptional insulation of the building. In this test, the indoor thermal environment comfort was satisfactory. This study can be used as a reference for the design and evaluation of low-carbon buildings and low-energy buildings.