Considering the global energy consumption, it is imperative to focus on energy-efficient buildings. For a multi-storey factory building case study, the base case and design case energy consumption were compared with the actual one. The simulation proved that the design case values were less than that of the base case, and 18.9 % of energy saving could be achieved. The design case value was compared with the actual value and the simulation accuracy was assessed in terms of mean base error and cumulative root mean square error. A comparison was done for two conventional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems with evaporative cooling pad system, which was found to be both energy- and cost-efficient. A model for integrating the key factors during the construction of an energy-efficient building is suggested. © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH