Abstract This study focuses on enhancing energy efficiency in future net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs) by examining effective envelope retrofitting strategies tailored to the unique challenges of hot and humid climates. Commercial buildings in these regions face high cooling demands, elevated humidity, and significant energy consumption, which are exacerbated by climate change. Rising temperatures and humidity variability indicate that conventional energy conservation measures may soon become inadequate. NZEBs have emerged as a practical solution to reduce energy use and increase building efficiency. Well-insulated NZEBs offer greater thermal comfort and resilience during power outages compared to conventional structures. However, retrofitting existing buildings remains critical, as neglecting them perpetuates high energy consumption in the current building stock. Building envelope retrofits play a pivotal role in reducing energy use, as they impact up to 28% of a building’s energy consumption. This study conducts a comparative analysis of retrofitting strategies using case studies and open-source data to evaluate their effectiveness. Findings highlight that multi-layered approaches combining various envelope improvements are most effective in reducing energy use. Moreover, while renewable energy adoption supports NZEB criteria, prioritizing intrinsic energy efficiency is essential for meaningful carbon reduction. This work underscores the necessity of minimizing energy demand to achieve sustainable, low-carbon building performance.
Akhozheya et al. (Tue,) studied this question.