Analysis and Comparison of Energy Efficiency Code Requirements for Buildings: A Morocco–Spain Case Study

Abstract

The trend in energy consumption, with a particular focus on heating and cooling demand, is an issue that is relevant to the promotion of new energy policies and more efficient energy systems. Moreover, heating and cooling energy demand is expected to rise in the next several decades, mainly due to climate change as well as increasing incomes in developing countries. In this context, the building sector is currently a relevant energy-intensive economic sector in Morocco; it accounts for 33% of the country’s total energy demand (as the sector with the second highest energy demand, after the transport sector), with the residential sector accounting for 25% and the tertiary sector accounting for 8%. Aiming to reduce energy dependence and promote sustainable development, the Moroccan government recently issued a comprehensive plan to increase the share of renewables and improve energy efficiency. This strategy includes novel thermal building regulations promoted by the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency. This paper analyzes the thermal behavior and heating-cooling energy demand of a residential building located in Tangier (Morocco) as a case example, based on the country’s new thermal regulations and considering specific climatological conditions. A comparison with common Moroccan residential buildings as well as with those in nearby countries with similar meteorological conditions but significant differences in terms of energy demand regulation and requirements, such as Spain, is also included. Simulations were carried out using the DesingBuilder and EnergyPlus Software packages. According to the results, the last building thermal regulation requirements in Morocco need to be revised and extended in order to achieve the energy efficiency objectives established by the Moroccan government for 2030.

Development of a numerical approach to assess the effect of coupled heat and moisture transfer on energy consumption of residential buildings in Moroccan context

“…Considering the annual energy consumption for Tangier climatic zone, a difference in annual energy consumption is observed between the current study and the literature (Merini et al, 2020). Table 7 is comparing and summarising these results.…”

An Investigation towards Optimizing the Construction Materials and Configurations of Buildings for Improving Energy Efficiency and Consumption in Morocco

“…The maritime zones of this country are characterized by their 3500 km of coastline. The climates of nation are more varied as a result of this extensive coastline [35][36][37]. Thus, diversification and climate change directly impact architecture, construction materials, and energy consumption in buildings, which is considered to be currently one of the main global problems [38][39][40].…”

Moroccan Public Buildings and the RTCM: Insights into Compliance, Energy Performance, and Regulation Improvement

“…These works have yielded numerous insights, conclusions, and recommendations, all of which have been extensively deliberated and discussed. Merini et al [20] studied a new building under construction in the city of Tangier in the Z2 climate zone. They determined and analyzed the thermal energy demanded by the building using the BINAYATE software.…”