Abstract
Global climate change is serving as warning signs it gradually begins to capture the attention of people at large. Many actions have been and continue to be taken by governments and organizations to preserve the planet, which is impactful and needed. But conservation efforts are not exclusive to governments and large institutions- individuals can contribute in multiple ways that will have ripple effects, one being the choice to build sustainable, net-zero energy homes. Building a house that is a net-zero energy requires many strategies.One of the most compelling factors in reducing the home energy consumption, to then achieve a net-zero energy home especially in hot-dry regions, is the optimization of the building envelope performance. This paper discussed several building envelope design strategies that are suitable for homes in hot-dry regions and tested them.The Methods including analyzing case study from Qater by using computer and were analyzed using Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools for energy simulation programs. All those strategies were applied to a design proposal for a house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is a hot-dry region. Further, the same simulation analyses were projected onto an identical house to the design proposal, but with a traditional, low-efficient building envelope.The results showed that the house with the high-efficient building envelope had 48% less energy consumption than the one that has the low-efficiency envelope.This research demonstrated the efficacy of the building envelope to reduce the energy consumption of single-family homes in hot-dry regions. The study outlines vital strategies for a high-efficient building envelope design in hot-dry areas that reaching net-zero energy homes and thus help to offset the negative impact of climate changes in arid areas.
Highlights
Should individuals sit comfortably with their arms crossed neglecting the environment around them? The conservation of the environment is not the government’s obligation only, but rather the duty of every single person that can realize the weight of the current negative activities on the environment
The results showed that the house with the high-efficient building envelope had 48% less energy consumption than the one that has the low-efficiency envelope
21.21% of the total energy consumption is from the residential sector
Summary
Should individuals sit comfortably with their arms crossed neglecting the environment around them? The conservation of the environment is not the government’s obligation only, but rather the duty of every single person that can realize the weight of the current negative activities on the environment. Individuals can make a considerable change toward having a sustainable environment. One of the most significant aspects that individuals can contribute to saving the environment, and their money as well, is by making their homes sustainable, especially in regards to energy consumption. 21.21% of the total energy consumption is from the residential sector. All these statistics illustrate that supplying buildings, especially the residential buildings, with electricity that is generated by fossil fuels causes significant, adverse impacts on the environment. For this reason, net-zero energy buildings are a compelling alternative for conserving the environment
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