Buildings are responsible for approximately 30 % of total energy consumption and 40 % of CO2 emissions worldwide. Fossil fuel consumption in buildings is a significant contributor to global warming. Implementing and evaluating Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standards in schools is a vital approach to bridging the gap between theory and practice, aiming to combat climate change while enhancing the quality of educational spaces. Testing standards in practice and at the design stage of buildings have been less studied. Given the limited research in this field, this study focuses on providing practical design guidelines for architects, engineers, and the construction industry. A sample NZEB secondary school was designed and validated against the actual energy consumption data. Therefore, the energy consumption and daylight metric factors were calculated using EnergyPlus and Radiance simulation engines through Ladybug tools. To understand the weight of each parameter, the One Factor at A Time (OFAT) sensitivity analysis was also conducted. The results show that the energy demand can be reduced from 180 kWh/m2/yr, belonging to a conventional school, to approximately 98 kWh/m2/yr, i.e., 46 % energy demand decrease. Finally, particular design strategies and guidelines are recommended that could be applied in the primary step of architectural design in a rough climate.
