Abstract
A large proportion of electricity in the UAE is consumed in meeting air conditioning cooling demands in buildings where up to 80% of a buildings total electricity demand is for cooling. With projected climate changes in the UAE predicting an increase in annual mean temperature of 2.8°C and minimal reductions in relative humidity and global solar radiation by 2050, cooling energy demands are set to increase. This paper reports on a study of how the climatic drivers of cooling energy demand change under a “business-as-usual” scenario of climate change. As annual energy demand for cooling per unit treated area varies across building types, a range of typical UAE commercial and residential buildings are simulated under generated annual hourly projected climate change weather datasets of 2020, 2050, and 2080. The results show an increase in cooling demand of 22.2% by 2050 and 40.0% by 2080 and a shift in the sources of these heat gains. The comparative effect of climate changes on the fundamental heat gain paths are examined and discussed to identify the most effective solutions for improving energy performance resilience to future climate change in the UAE.
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