It is with great pleasure and a sense of academic accomplishment that I introduce this book, which represents a significant facet of the doctoral thesis submitted by me, Dr. Farheen Bano to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University in the year 2019. This work is a testament to my scholarly dedication and rigorous research, undertaken under the insightful guidance of Dr. Vandana Sehgal.

The contents of this book delve into the culmination of my doctoral journey, contribute valuable insights to the academic discourse within the chosen field. It is critical discourse of energy consumption in buildings, particularly focusing on the escalating demands in composite climate of India, notably in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The exploration begins by addressing the significant surge in energy consumption, attributed to the increasing population and the subsequent rise in building services, comfort requirements, and indoor activities. Aiming to mitigate this escalating energy demand, the study concentrates on optimizing the energy-efficient building envelope for high-rise office buildings in Lucknow. Leveraging advanced tools such as DesignBuilder and Pareto-front multi-objective optimization, the research examines various design parameters, including building configuration, fenestration, shading devices, and wall and roof assembly.

The study unfolds through a meticulous analysis of six existing office buildings, leading to the formulation of a base-case model for Lucknow. Parametric simulations, exploring 11 key building envelope parameters individually, contribute to a nuanced understanding of energy-saving measures and associated discounted payback periods. Multivariate cases, combining optimum values, then inform the determination of an optimal design for the building envelope, achieving a commendable 20% improvement in energy efficiency with a payback period of less than one year.