Hot Arid Climate

Nowadays the world no longer has a choice to reduce the dependency of non-renewable energy resources, especially in buildings. This type of energy like fossil fuel is responsible for global warming and the climate change phenomenon. The construction industry has to depend on renewable energy to improve environmental impacts while operating the buildings. The most promising technologies for buildings are photovoltaic panels system which converts solar radiation into electricity without harming the environment. PV system is not only used as top-roof panels but also it can play an important role in the exterior building cladding and in curtain wall system as well. Building-integrated PV (BIPV) system has two functions the first is used as a façade cladding and the second is power generation for building operation. This research studies the PV curtain wall as a BIPV system and explains why this system is better than the traditional curtain wall through its environmental performance and initial, and operation costs. Based on the analysed tabulated feasibility study considering energy savings outcome and system cost, PV curtain walls proved technical, environmental and economic viability. The paper's case study in Jeddah-KSA provides a real example of how PV curtain wall application plays a fundamental role in achieving high energy performance standards as well as maximize the financial return of investment.

PurposeThe Middle Eastern terrain is expected to encounter unprecedented climatic conditions before the turn of the next century (circa. 80 years), emanating from extreme heat waves that exceed the critical threshold of habitable conditions. This threatens to cause a significant challenge that is exacerbated by a gap between the supply and demand of affordable energy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of utilising nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) to improve the performance of residential buildings in Iraq and the Middle East.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses Iraq as a case-study because of the breadth of climatic conditions experienced across its wide-reaching territory and also because of the recent critical infrastructural challenges following the geo-political crisis. Three virtual buildings were simulated for Baghdad, Mosul and Basra cities to narrow the confines of the region to achieve nZEB under current and future climatic weathe...

Between 2000 and 2015, annual electric peak demand in Kuwait has doubled to 15000 MW and the Ministry of Energy and Water expects this number to double once more by 2030 attributing 70% of this growth to new housing projects. Within this context, this manuscript evaluates the effect of incorporating PCM-wallboards in low-rise airconditioned residential heavyweight buildings in Kuwait. Using an EnergyPlus single-zone model, a parametric study is performed considering several window-to-wall ratios (WWRs), different solar orientations and some PCMwallboards configurations. The main study goals are to: (i) explore the validity of a single PCM-wallboard solution that can be universally applied throughout residential buildings in Kuwait; (ii) evaluate the impact of PCMwallboard on the reduction of both cooling demand and peak-loads; (iii) provide some guidelines for incorporating PCM-wallboards in Kuwait. Following an extensive parametric study, a 4 cm thick PCM-wallboard with a meltingpeak temperature of 24 ºC yielded the lowest annual cooling demand across a variety of room orientations and WWRs assuming cooling-set point of 24 ºC. Its implementation lead to annual cooling energy savings of 4-5% across all the case-studies. Regarding the impact throughout the year, cooling demand and peak-loads can be reduced by 5-7% during summer months. The average daily cooling loads can be reduced by 5-8%.

Nowadays the world no longer has a choice to reduce the dependency of non-renewable energy resources, especially in buildings. This type of energy like fossil fuel is responsible for global warming and the climate change phenomenon. The construction industry has to depend on renewable energy to improve environmental impacts while operating the buildings. The most promising technologies for buildings are photovoltaic panels system which converts solar radiation into electricity without harming the environment. PV system is not only used as top-roof panels but also it can play an important role in the exterior building cladding and in curtain wall system as well. Building-integrated PV (BIPV) system has two functions the first is used as a façade cladding and the second is power generation for building operation. This research studies the PV curtain wall as a BIPV system and explains why this system is better than the traditional curtain wall through its environmental performance and initial, and operation costs. Based on the analysed tabulated feasibility study considering energy savings outcome and system cost, PV curtain walls proved technical, environmental and economic viability. The paper's case study in Jeddah-KSA provides a real example of how PV curtain wall application plays a fundamental role in achieving high energy performance standards as well as maximize the financial return of investment.

Due to hot arid climate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, occupants rely on air conditioning (AC) to provide both ventilation requirements and thermal comfort. It is believed that this total reliance on AC have also a significant effect on thermal sensation as well as cognitive performance of building occupants. Using a multi-variable multilevel statistical analysis, the effects of classroom temperature and CO2 levels on cognitive performance were estimated. Eight neurobehavioral cognitive tests were used to evaluate cognitive performance of 499 female students (16-20 years old). In addition, thermal sensation votes were collected. All participants were exposed to nine different environmental conditions, a combination of three temperature levels 20°C, 23°C and 25°C, and three CO2 levels: 600 ppm, 1000 ppm and 1800 ppm. The baseline condition levels were set at 20°C and 600 ppm. In this paper the interrelationships between the thermal sensation votes and effects of classroom temperature and CO2 levels on vigilance (Simple Reaction Test, SRT) and memory tasks (Reversal Learning, RL) are presented. The results suggested that the 'cold' thermal sensations have been linked to significant increase in 'percentage of errors' for both memory and vigilance tasks. Also, the exposure to higher CO2 levels of 1800 ppm and 1000 ppm have led to a significant increase in the 'percentage of errors' for both cognitive performance tasks compared to the baseline conditions. The study has also confirmed that the significant influence of acclimatization should not be overlooked when setting up the environmental design criteria for buildings in hot arid climates.

Due to hot arid climate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, occupants rely on air conditioning (AC) to provide both ventilation requirements and thermal comfort. It is believed that this total reliance on AC have also a significant effect on thermal sensation as well as cognitive performance of building occupants. Using a multi-variable multilevel statistical analysis, the effects of classroom temperature and CO2 levels on cognitive performance were estimated. Eight neurobehavioral cognitive tests were used to evaluate cognitive performance of 499 female students (16-20 years old). In addition, thermal sensation votes were collected. All participants were exposed to nine different environmental conditions, a combination of three temperature levels 20°C, 23°C and 25°C, and three CO2 levels: 600 ppm, 1000 ppm and 1800 ppm. The baseline condition levels were set at 20°C and 600 ppm. In this paper the interrelationships between the thermal sensation votes and effects of classroom temperature and CO2 levels on vigilance (Simple Reaction Test, SRT) and memory tasks (Reversal Learning, RL) are presented. The results suggested that the 'cold' thermal sensations have been linked to significant increase in 'percentage of errors' for both memory and vigilance tasks. Also, the exposure to higher CO2 levels of 1800 ppm and 1000 ppm have led to a significant increase in the 'percentage of errors' for both cognitive performance tasks compared to the baseline conditions. The study has also confirmed that the significant influence of acclimatization should not be overlooked when setting up the environmental design criteria for buildings in hot arid climates.

PurposeThe Middle Eastern terrain is expected to encounter unprecedented climatic conditions before the turn of the next century (circa. 80 years), emanating from extreme heat waves that exceed the critical threshold of habitable conditions. This threatens to cause a significant challenge that is exacerbated by a gap between the supply and demand of affordable energy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of utilising nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) to improve the performance of residential buildings in Iraq and the Middle East.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses Iraq as a case-study because of the breadth of climatic conditions experienced across its wide-reaching territory and also because of the recent critical infrastructural challenges following the geo-political crisis. Three virtual buildings were simulated for Baghdad, Mosul and Basra cities to narrow the confines of the region to achieve nZEB under current and future climatic weathe...

Climate-sensitive open spaces within cities may benefit the three dimensions of sustainability, affecting economical, social and environmental factors. Aiming to improve microclimatic conditions in urban spaces can enable people to spend more time outdoors, with the potential to influence the social cohesion of a space and increase economic activity. The wider aim of this research is to develop better understanding of the complex relation between microclimate and human behaviour in open public spaces in hot arid climates. Case studies were carefully selected in two different parts of the world (Marrakech in North Africa and Phoenix-Arizona in North America) to represent a variety of users in similar climatic context. This enabled us to study the effect of the socioeconomic and cultural diversity on thermal comfort, behaviour and use of space. Field surveys included structured interviews with a standard questionnaire and observations of the human activities, along with microclimatic monitoring, carried out during winter and summer 2008 and 2009. The analysis consists of the microclimatic influence on the thermal sensation, preference and people attendance; the effect of psychological adaptation on subjective thermal evaluation of outdoor spaces; and finally, investigation of socioeconomic and sociocultural impact on behaviour of people in outdoor space.

A special design of clothing based on ‘sombrero-effect’ by inclined wedge providing shadow on the base material has been proposed and investigated analytically in this study to improve the thermo-physiological comfort under dry and hot environment. The design involves small strips of opaque surface on the base fabric of the outerwear to provide tiny shadows at an inclination. The analysis of the heat and mass transfer in the proposed design enables numerical prediction of cooling heat flow at skin surface level. The predicted values are then compared with experimental data by simulating the conditions using a vertical skin model. The effects of certain material properties, particularly the colour of fabric and type of fibre have been studied and the role of the important design parameter, such as ‘shade angle’ or the angle of inclined strips has been investigated experimentally. It is observed that the analytical framework of heat and mass transfer in such a system is able to give u...

PurposeThe Middle Eastern terrain is expected to encounter unprecedented climatic conditions before the turn of the next century (circa. 80 years), emanating from extreme heat waves that exceed the critical threshold of habitable conditions. This threatens to cause a significant challenge that is exacerbated by a gap between the supply and demand of affordable energy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of utilising nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) to improve the performance of residential buildings in Iraq and the Middle East.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses Iraq as a case-study because of the breadth of climatic conditions experienced across its wide-reaching territory and also because of the recent critical infrastructural challenges following the geo-political crisis. Three virtual buildings were simulated for Baghdad, Mosul and Basra cities to narrow the confines of the region to achieve nZEB under current and future climatic weathe...

Urban agriculture, Nexus, and climate envelope are interdisciplinary topics where greenhouses are integrated into the urban and pre-urban context. Building-Greenhouse prototype (BGp) is a new integrated design developed and based on using advanced greenhouses generation, where high indoor climate control and efficient water and nutrient cycles continue to be achieved. The research analysed the Humidification and Dehumidification (HDH) techniques for building cooling, greenhouse climate control, and for water desalination systems. The research methodology is to explore applying the BGp on the governmental rural models in Egypt, where the occupants are suffering from numerous living, income, and environmental problems. The BGp is opening the door to apply decentralised urban communities, where autonomous energy, water, and food production could be achieved using brackish or seawater water.

This research implemented a comprehensive analysis to develop a BGp for the governmental housing in Red Sea coast in Egypt. Designbuilder simulation analysis is used to develop the governmental rural dwellings, the greenhouse unit, and the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) design. The performance of the integrated HVAC system is verified using ‘TRNSYS’ software simulations. The results confirmed that the integrated HVAC intervention could save 38% and 17.5-36% of the building and the greenhouse cooling loads, respectively, compared to the conventional systems. The integrated BGp application increases the occupant’s indoor living quality, the socio-economic impact, and self-sufficiency of food and water. The research discusses the BGp application in comparison to the Egyptian end-use energy and market, in addition to present an economic and ecological analysis.