Passive Building Energy Saving: Building Envelope Retrofitting Measures to Reduce Cooling Requirements for a Residential Building in an Arid Climate

Abstract

In arid climates, a significant portion of the urban peak energy demand is dedicated to cooling and air-conditioning during the summer. The rapid urbanization rates in developing countries, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have intensified the pressure on energy resources to meet the indoor comfort needs of residents. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in energy demand, with a 2.3% rise recorded in 2018. Electricity consumption in residential buildings accounted for over 48.6% of the total electricity consumption. The choice of building fabrics used in a residential building can significantly impact the building’s passive performance and carbon footprint. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of how specific fabric details influence cooling energy usage in arid climates. To achieve this, a validation simulation model was initially created as a base case for a residential housing typology in Al Ain, UAE. This was followed by a parametric energy evaluation of various building envelope features. The evaluation was based on the reduction of yearly cooling load energy. The simulation results indicate that incorporating 50 mm of expanded polystyrene insulation into the outside walls significantly reduced energy consumption for cooling requirements in the arid UAE climate. Furthermore, no substantial difference was observed in the various roofing choices, including cool and green roofs, gravels, and sand roofs. Additionally, we concluded that the total solar energy transmittance (g-value) of windows played a more significant role than thermal transmittance (U-value) in reducing solar heat gain within the spaces. These findings should guide strategic decisions on building envelope upgrading for sustainable societies.

Analysis of Internal Conditions and Energy Consumption during Winter in an Apartment Located in a Tenement Building in Poland

“…Xu et al [5] concluded that residential buildings built in the 1980s and 1990s consume more energy for space heating and cooling and that the energy consumption depends on the unit area and is lower in small-sized premises in high-rise buildings, while Gassar et al [6] confirmed that the average number of rooms per apartment greatly influenced residential gas consumption. Also, other studies [7][8][9] indicate that there is a huge potential in energy conservation in existing buildings. Therefore, in this area, thermomodernization measures deserve special attention.…”