Climate-sensitive school buildings can enhance students’ learning performance and reduce the building’s overall energy consumption. This paper reports on a post-occupancy study of contemporary school buildings in Malaysia, assessing problems of solar heat gain. The research aims to propose retrofitting measures based on passive design principles adapted specifically for the Malaysian tropical climate to strengthen the resilience of local school buildings in a global climate emergency. On-site measurements in two different schools provided the empirical basis for the design modifications. The monitoring procedure included site observations, extended temperature and humidity measurements, and daylight analysis. A virtual classroom model was generated based on the on-site measurements, and a parametric simulation study was conducted to evaluate the proposed retrofit measures’ effectiveness. The model variables were evaluated and compared to identify the passive design elements that significantly impact heat gains and thermal comfort. The results showed that increasing roof overhangs to 1500 mm for additional shading, sensitive selection of roof materials and colours of white-painted zinc roof, and reduction of window-to-wall ratio by 30% to the operable windows helps to reduce solar gains by 6% to improve comfort conditions within the classrooms. Overall, the study provided evidence of how passive solar building design would benefit the climate resilience of Malaysian schools.

This study builds on the ways design modifications can improve the integration of solar electric generation in Malaysian educational buildings. The study suggests the benefit of a solar installation at a standard school as both an educational and economic opportunity for a photovoltaic (PV) system can bring together classroom learning and energy supply. In analysing the existing design details of selected case study schools, this study aims to determine how the integration of this technology in the building design can be applied to the most basic education buildings in Malaysia. The existing design patterns of school classrooms with and without PV systems were logged and examined through a series of post-occupancy evaluation studies on selected schools. Basic energy requirements were summarized, and specific design modifications for the existing case study schools were proposed to adapt to the newer, modern classrooms. The results of this conceptual evaluation, coupled with energy simulations to model a reference case energy usage, provided the basis to predict PV outputs and future energy use for a modified classroom. Positive results from the solar analysis provided additional evidence about how alternative energy sources are beneficial in long term future-proofing schools.