Purpose: The building sector accounts for 40 % of the total energy consumption in Sweden today, and the largest proportion is consumed during the operating phase. From the year 2020 and onwards, all new buildings should be erected as zero-emissionbuildings. The building’s design can reduce energy demands, but the current legal requirements do not favour energy-efficient designs. This study focuses on the design’s importance for the energy efficiency of buildings, i.e., energy-saving design. The impact of specific measures is difficult to calculate due to the complexity of reality. This study aims to highlight the measures that could reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Method: In order to provide answers to the issues stated in the report and to achieve the objective of the study, case studies are being conducted investigating three commercial buildings where deliberate decisions were made to use energy-reducing measures. Results and conclusions are based on qualitative interviews and literature studies. Findings: The energy-reducing design measures found to be of most importance used in the studied buildings are the form factor, the window portion and the thermal storage capacity. Moreover, significant savings are possible by carefully consider how solar energy can be limited or used in the building. Generally, buildings tends to become more technical, therefore technical knowledge early in the process is important to reach a good result. Economic incentives and clear objectives with right focus are also important for optimizing a building’s energy performance. The wording and the requirement levels in the Swedish building regulations highly controls the construction of energy efficient buildings. Implications: This study shows how energy efficient design is made today and provides an indication of what can be done and what should be prioritized. By imposing requirements on consumed energy instead of bought, energy efficient design could be favoured. Furthermore, this study suggests that a balance between windows, façade and solar shading are important energy-reducing measures. Regardless of selected energyreducing measures, a good performance is essential. Finally, this study shows that a methodical use of existing knowledge and technology makes a difference. Limitations: A lifecycle approach provides an overall picture of a building’s energy consumption. However, this study is based on the energy consumption during the operating phase. The result of this study does not take economic or aesthetic factors into account. This study is a comparative case study and is based on few but carefully matched cases. The selected cases are commercial buildings where deliberate decisions were made to use energy-reducing measures.