Abstract
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as one of the largest polluters worldwide, has released its Vision 2030 that seeks sustainable development via economic diversification to transition towards lower CO2 energy systems. Due to fast population and economic growth, the Kingdom is undergoing an increasing volume of construction, which is projected to exacerbate the energy-related emissions. Strategies are needed to decarbonise the housing stock and help bridge the existing performance gap with the updated Saudi Building Code (SBC). This study proposes a holistic retrofitting approach for the Saudi building industry to facilitate the identification of energy consumption reduction optimisation solutions, covering the assessment of insulation, reflective coating surfaces, sun shading devices, efficient glazing solutions, building-integrated renewables, and green roofs. The proposed flexible approach proved how blended retrofit packages provide improved performance, with rooftop photovoltaic microgeneration and improved glazing technologies singlehandedly outperforming the remaining proposals for KSA’s Riyadh climate conditions. Only the photovoltaic system could meet the simulated SBC performance benchmark independently, positioning it as an instrumental tool in improving the overall effectiveness of the retrofit packages.
Highlights
The anticipated rise in sea levels and global average temperatures are forecasted to redraw the world map by 2100 [1]
Significant potential for change lies within the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries, where their heavy reliance on oil and natural gas in external trade and internal services has placed them as some of the 25 highest CO2 emissions per capita worldwide [5]
This is relevant to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which accounts for 56% of the GCC countries’ CO2 emissions [6]
Summary
The anticipated rise in sea levels and global average temperatures are forecasted to redraw the world map by 2100 [1]. The expected burgeoning population, recent high economic development, and increased affluence, along with high fossil fuel subsidies, are anticipated to exacerbate energy-related emissions. This fast pace sector growth implies the unsustainable construction of new buildings before the retirement of older ones, especially in the residential sector. This study aims to determine tailored optimised solutions that cater to the case’s climatic conditions and resource availability, covering traditional and novel concepts in local literature. This will be performed via a well-suited computer simulation tool(s) on a validated archetypical building baseline model. (1) Can significant energy savings be achieved with traditional retrofit techniques? Is there a need for the introduction of more novel alternatives?
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