Evaluating energy performance of educational buildings: a case study in Australia

Purpose Assessing the energy efficiency of buildings has great significance, as a large portion of energy is used for building operations. However, the energy performance of educational buildings is less studied compared to other buildings and there is an increased interest in assessing the energy use performance of educational buildings in different climates and understanding the energy performance at various temporal scales. Design/methodology/approach With the aim of identify key driving factors and their impact on energy efficiency in educational buildings, this paper employs an integrated approach that combines monitoring data, regression modelling, psychrometric analysis and validation. The Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training (CADET) in Victoria, Australia, is selected as the case building with the monitored data at 15-minute intervals. Findings The results reveal that the annual energy intensity was 211 kWh/m2, outperforming national and state averages but underperforming the City of Melbourne's future target of 60 kWh/m2. Seasonal analysis also shows higher energy consumption for space heating during winter compared to cooling in summer. The regression involving gas used for space heating in winter demonstrated a stronger correlation with temperature than heating, ventilation and air-conditioning electricity in summer for the monthly temporal resolutions. Furthermore, psychrometric analysis investigates potential energy savings of approximately 42% annually while ensuring indoor thermal comfort through passive design strategies. Originality/value This study provides novel contributions by offering multi-scale insights into the energy use dynamics of Australian educational buildings through a case study and identifying energy-saving potential through passive design strategies based on psychrometric analysis. It can also be used to benchmark similar buildings in the region and guide improvements toward achieving net-zero energy targets.