Chapters authored
Towards Near Zero Energy Home
In the context of building design, as investment in the built-environment continues to grow, the requirement to deliver low-energy buildings will become ever more pressing as natural resources dwindle and consumer energy costs increase. Energy efficiency awareness and regulations continue to rise in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries but the majority of building stock of which the larger share in energy consumption has not been designed for energy efficiency. The design and construction of buildings in hot humid climates require high-energy consumption typically for air conditioning due to higher thermal loads. Regionally, there is a rising concern on the current rate of energy consumption due to air conditioning. The global sustainability assessment system (GSAS), a performance-based system raised the bar of efficient design by the development of stringent energy passive design benchmarks on the thermal cooling need in buildings. This chapter introduces the simulation measures undertaken to reduce the cooling need using a ‘showcase’ house or the ‘near Zero Energy Home’ (nZEH), which is currently under construction. The chapter presents and discusses the Be Lean, Be Clean and Be Green strategies that used to reduce the cooling demand by more than 80% and the overall energy consumption by 75%.
Part of the book: Energy Efficient Buildings