Towards Zero-Energy Housing in Egypt

Abstract

As the Egyptian population is increasing at a huge rate, the yearly housing demand is increasing in an equivalent rate. In addition, the whole world is suffering from an energy crises caused by the rapidly increasing consumption of world’s traditional energy resources, so the obvious solution is to go green, and depend much more on renewable energy resources. According to the statistical data available in Egyptian governmental authorities, the accumulated housing demand till 2014 was about 2,400,000 units. On the other hand, the yearly housing supply from private and public sectors is about 150,000 to 200,000 unit, Egyptian authorities declared that at summer 2010 air-conditioning devices increased to reach 3.000.000 ( three million) devices all over Egypt, mostly working from early mornings till 2 am next day to adjust temperatures that reach up to (45C) and more outside buildings to reach (25 C) or less inside. This behavior increased electricity consumption rapidly. Consequently, the electricity consumption rate in Egypt had increased by 13% more than 2009, which exceeds the maximum capacity power of the high dam by 7% to 8%, ministry of electricity announcements declared that to fill that gab we need 3000 megawatts at peak hours which costs the electricity sector up to 16.000.000.000 l.E. Accordingly, a new architectural design concept is proposed (Zero-Energy Housing Unit) to rely on the surrounding environmental conditions and new Green Architecture Techniques in order to provide human comfort based on renewable energy sources, provided that the common current governmental energy sources will be a backup system for the meanwhile.