A PARAMETRIC STUDY OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF EXISTING AIR-CONDITIONED BUILDINGS IN KUWAIT

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Kuwait air-conditioning systems consume approximately 70% of the grid energy during the long summer months. In this paper, various practical approaches are investigated to enhance the energy efficiency and decrease the energy consumption of five existing air-conditioned (AC) buildings in Kuwait City. The process of energy management in air-conditioned buildings in Kuwait is overwhelming due to high energy consumption in the building sector. This study proposed an optimization technique for the proper energy management of installed AC systems to target energy-efficient buildings. In this study the aim is to explore the effect of different operating parameters, both theoretically and experimentally, and to contribute to the reduction of AC energy consumption. Consequently, the relationship between the thermal load in the air-conditioned buildings and the actual electrical energy consumption is determined, and remedial measures, along with different recommendations for energy saving, are presented. The actual thermal loads of each selected building were calculated and compared with the installed cooling capacity of the AC systems. From the results obtained it was concluded that, by implementing the suggested remedial measures, the predicted load in the selected buildings could be decreased significantly from the existing installed capacity of the cooling systems. Most of the remedial measures suggested for energy management lead to a reduction in power consumption and increased energy efficiency at different levels based on the specifications of the buildings considered and the AC systems installed, resulting in improved in economy, a reduced carbon footprint, and a cleaner environment.