Buildings In Egypt Research Articles

Fulfilling the potentials of residential solar energy in Egypt

Energy plays a very important role in Egypt’s economic development, but the country has a gap between its produced energy and the demand of its growing population. Utilization of solar power systems in Egypt could help the country to close this gap and fulfil its national and international obligations. However, since 1980, the focus in Egypt has been on large-scale industrial solar projects. Limited attention is given to smaller systems for typical residential buildings. The aim of this research, therefore, is to highlight the potential of small residential solar systems (SRSS) in Egypt. With the huge number of residential buildings accommodating more than 115 million Egyptians, SRSS could be the unearthed gem of a sustainable source of energy in Egypt. The geographical location of Egypt and climate were used to generate solar data using the Global Solar Atlas application. The amounts of monthly and annual solar irradiations were calculated and analysed to decide the best orientation of the system (facing east, west, north, and south), identify the optimum tilt angle of the system, and determine the size of the solar panels. A case study was used to illustrate the procedures of designing SRSS for a typical residential building in Egypt. The results showed that a 26 kWp SRSS oriented facing the east with an optimum tilt angle between 15° and 30° could produce an annual total output of electricity more than the annual demand of the occupants of the studied residential building. Such a system would fit easily on the roof of the building. It was concluded that the installation of SRSS in Egypt could help the country meet the demand of its ever-increasing population if properly regulated, financed, and managed. It is recommended that Egypt develop and implement policies to make installations of SRSS an attractive choice among homeowners and investors by introducing encouraging incentives and creating a competitive market with affordable SRSS.

Life cycle assessment and generative design: development of a national LCA tool for exterior walls

PurposeThe promotion of sustainable design is demanded globally. The life cycle assessment (LCA) proved its reliability in this mission, but the difficulty and time required to apply it discouraged designers. This research aims to integrate LCA into the building design process through a software tool, taking advantage of generative design features. This will facilitate decision-making by architects and construction professionals.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops the EGY-LCA (http://egy-lca.com/). This prototype tool suggests exterior wall design alternatives for residential buildings in Egypt, using the environmental impact indicators of LCA data and other criteria related to national codes, materials, construction methods and required thermal resistance. Within a generative design process, the algorithm tests every possible wall method with materials and thickness combinations for each layer in compliance with inputs. The paper begins by explaining the tool’s working method. Afterward, different sets of inputs are examined and the values of the resultant environmental impacts of several suggested wall solutions are statistically analyzed. The application demonstrates the importance of the generative design tool. Proposing several solutions based on a set of inputs facilitates the selection of sustainable choices and allows comparisons between alternatives.FindingsThe prototype experiment confirms the research hypothesis. Unlike the available LCA tools, architects can make decisions with limited LCA experience if the data and equations are integrated into a generative design tool. The prototype proves its applicability for exterior wall alternatives.Research limitations/implicationsThe prototype is the initial step toward a whole-building LCA tool. It includes limited LCA stages and materials for the external wall. Future research is required to expand this parametric tool concept to include all the building components. The framework in Section 5 proposes a visualization.Practical implicationsThe prototype tool: EGY-LCA (http://egy-lca.com/). The value added to the design and construction sectors through the uncomplicated LCA application is fostering sustainable design, generative design tools can achieve this.Originality/valueThe novelty of this work is that it is the first initiative offering a parametric LCA tool. It promotes the application of LCA at the design stage using generative design, which contributes to sustainable development.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Adaptively Reused Historical Ecological Buildings in Egypt: The Case of Wekalet Al-Ghoury

Ecological historical buildings were originally designed to maintain acceptable Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) for their users and their intended activity. The adaptive reuse of these buildings is considered a great potential opportunity. As a result, these structures and their passive applied strategies might be no longer as effective as they once were. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the user satisfaction with IEQ in an adaptively reused historical ecological building; Wekalet Al-Ghoury. This post-occupancy evaluation was conducted using a mixed method approach that involved the use of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Quantitative results of the questionnaire were statistically evaluated using SPSS software and interviews were thematically analyzed. The questionnaire was first use to capture responses’ diversity among staff and tenants, the semi-structured interview has then helped to discuss and justify quantitative findings. Occupants were generally satisfied with thermal and acoustic conditions and dissatisfied the most with the low level of IEQ control, poor indoor air quality and inconsistent light distribution. On the other hand, the interview has reflected responsive occupant behaviour to perform their work where occupants are free to change their place, change their working hours and introduce some movable lighting and ventilation equipment.

Identify and Evaluate Obstacles and Risks of The Egyptian Building and Construction Sector

Identify and Evaluate Obstacles and Risks of The Egyptian Building and Construction Sector

The Role of Agriculture Waste in Achieving High Efficacy in Residential Sustainable Buildings in Egypt

The Role of Agriculture Waste in Achieving High Efficacy in Residential Sustainable Buildings in Egypt

Passive House-based energy efficiency design criteria: a case study of a residential building in Cairo

PurposeThe study aims to tackle Egypt's rising electricity consumption due to climate change and population growth, focusing on the building sector, which accounts for up to 60% of the issue, by developing new energy-efficient design guidelines for Egyptian buildings.Design/methodology/approachThis study comprises six key steps. A literature review focuses on energy consumption and efficiency in buildings, monitoring a single-family building in Cairo, using Energy Plus for simulation and verification, performing multi-objective optimization, comparing energy performance between base and controlled cases, and developing a localized version of the Passive House (PH) called Energy Efficiency Design Criteria (EEDC).FindingsThe research shows that applying the (EEDC) suggested by this study can decrease energy consumption by up to 58% and decrease cooling consumption by up to 63% in residential buildings in Egypt while providing thermal comfort and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This can benefit users, alleviate local power grid strain, contribute to Egypt's economy, and serve as a model for other countries with similar climates.Originality/valueTo date, no studies have focused on developing energy-efficient design standards tailored to the Egyptian climate and context using the Passive House Criteria concept. This study contributes to the field by identifying key principles, design details, and goal requirements needed to promote energy-efficient design standards for residential buildings in Egypt.

Systematic review turning existing Egyptian residential buildings in green ones

Due to the continuous technological advancements, expensive utility bills became a major concern for the world residents as well as governments. As a result, energy consumption mitigation became a prominent target for modern researchers. Consequently, solutions were introduced, suggesting that green principles be applied to the construction field. However, even if newly built structures became completely green and emitted no harmful emissions, the net emissions of a given city's overall construction would still be in operation, harming and polluting the environment with all their might. Therefore, it is needed to work on the net green score and rather focus on the conversion of existing buildings into green. Using a questionnaire to create a hypothetical typical Egyptian home, this study aims to apply green solutions to existing buildings in Egypt. The questionnaire also tackles other areas of Egyptian society in order to better understand their awareness and understanding of green concepts. The study’s methodology is based on the collective data gathered from other researchers in the field with applied case studies in climates similar to Egypt’s due to its lack of these solutions applications and concepts. The solutions suggested included solar panels as a retrofitting solution, and windows orientation and window-to-wall ratio (WRR) as a renovating one. As a result, the "windows" solutions suggested in this paper happened to be the most effective.

Site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard analysis in Nuweiba, Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt: Combining area source model and active faults

Gulf of Aqaba in Eastern Egypt is characterized by significant seismic activity and high deformation rate, making it a major source of destructive earthquakes in the region. While previous studies have produced probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) maps for the region, they have not adequately accounted for active faults or site response in their calculations. This study introduces a newly developed seismic source model for the Gulf of Aqaba, considering area source, active fault source, and a combination of both models to improve seismic hazard assessment for the region. The study incorporates the previously measured average shear-wave velocity for the upper 30 m (Vs30), fundamental frequency (F0), and amplification factor (A0) at some selected sites in Nuweiba city. Accordingly, site-specific PSHA is carried out for the bedrock condition (Vs30 = 800 m/s, according to the Egyptian Building Code) and for the surface of soft sediments using F0, A0, and Vs30. Uncertainties in slip rate, maximum magnitude, and recurrence model are accounted during PSHA computation. Ground motion parameters such as peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration (SA) for various probabilities of exceedance in 50-year lifetime are calculated for both rock site conditions and soft sediments. The maximum calculated PGA and SA are 0.65 g and 1.25 g, respectively, for a 10% probability of exceedance over 50 years at bedrock conditions.

Guidelines for data collection on energy performance of higher-education buildings in Egypt: a case study

ABSTRACT Reliable energy analysis of buildings relies heavily on high-quality data leading to proper indicators. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of data quality in analyzing energy usage in residential and non-residential buildings in order to transform declarations to actions, optimise energy efficiency policies and monitor progress and failures in countries. Collected data must adhere to national and international standards for energy performance in buildings. This study aims to provide practical guidelines for effectively collecting and preparing data suitable for evaluating energy performance in Egyptian higher-education (HE) buildings. The guidelines are developed based on a comprehensive case study, considering data availability in typical educational facilities. Architectural and civil engineering drawings, construction specifications, and occupancy details are accessible. However, actual monthly electrical and natural gas consumption data for individual buildings are lacking. To address this, the study proposes the creation of detailed datasheets for each building, encompassing all energy sources and their electrical and power specifications, such as equipment, machinery, and HVAC systems. These datasheets were utilized to calculate energy consumption and energy usage indicators (EUI). The findings demonstrate that the datasheets enable adequate assessment of energy usage in various spaces within educational buildings, including staff rooms, lecture halls, and laboratories. This facilitates the identification of areas in need of targeted energy efficiency improvements. Notably, the study reveals that electricity consumption in the Faculty of Engineering building is significantly influenced by PCs, laboratories, lighting, and air conditioning.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Passive Design Strategies in Achieving Thermal Comfort in Residential Buildings in Egypt

This study aims at thermal comfort improvement in residential buildings through utilization of passive design strategies and energy efficiency measures. The study investigates the impact of passive strategies on thermal comfort in hot dry climate of Egypt. A climatic analysis of three cities: Aswan, Cairo and Alexandria was conducted to examine passive design strategies’ efficacy. Thermal comfort in a residential building was examined by DesignBuilder simulation software. Annual simulations were performed on the model where several passive design strategies were applied. Passive design strategies’ potential was quantified and a parametric analysis was conducted for thermal comfort improvement. The results demonstrate that applying passive design strategies can be effective in reducing discomfort hours in hot climate. Comfort hours could be increased from 22.6% to 33.1 % in Aswan, while in Cairo can be increased from 31.1% to 38.6 %, and in Alexandria from 36.9% to 46 %. The research findings could be used by architects for thermal comfort improvement in residential buildings.

The Efficiency of Using mineral insulating solution in Build-ings in Egypt

The Efficiency of Using mineral insulating solution in Build-ings in Egypt

Investigation of the Performance of Zero Energy Homes in Hot Climates

Globally, the rate at which buildings use resources and energy has been rising. Due to population growth, rise in living standard, and global warming, strategies for energy conservation have been adopted lately in zero energy buildings. Over the past decade, the energy consumption in constructions has increased at an unprecedented rate. Therefore, it is of great importance to mandate energy rationalization in building construction. This research investigates the impact of applying zero energy concept in homes in Egypt. The study begins by analysing the current situation of the energy sector and existing buildings in Egypt, the NZEB concept is defined and its different aspects are highlighted. Energy simulation by DesignBuilder simulation software is used to evaluate energy performance for a residential single family house model after applying Passive and Active design strategies. A number of energy saving strategies have been examined to optimize the building envelope with minimum energy requirements. The building energy consumption was reduced when various energy efficient strategies were combined. Besides utilizing energy efficient HVAC systems. a solar PV system is installed to meet the reduced energy. The case study was transformed into a zero-energy house. Results show that passive and active techniques can be dependable for steady energy production in buildings in hot dry regions.

Developing a Model to Improve the Efficiency of Maintenance Management for Service Buildings Using BIM and Power BI: A Case Study

Developing a Model to Improve the Efficiency of Maintenance Management for Service Buildings Using BIM and Power BI: A Case Study

The Polish Contribution to Egyptian Motifs in the Architecture of Synagogues

Egyptomania is a specific strategy related to the reception of the heritage of ancient Egypt and incorporation of Egyptian elements into various aspects of modern culture, such as art, crafts, literature, intellectual speculation, and others. This phenomenon manifested itself in architecture, too, especially in the 19th century. We can also point out various Egyptian (or rather, “quasi-Egyptian”) motifs and details in the design and construction of some synagogue buildings around the world. In the 1879s, a Polish architect, Stanisław Adamczewski, proposed the idea of a monumental synagogue in Warsaw, incorporating interesting elements reminiscent of ancient Egyptian buildings. He also planned other Egyptian-styled structures in Warsaw, but none of them, like the synagogue itself, were ever constructed.

Towards energy efficiency: retrofitting existing office buildings using smart technologies

Buildings are considered one of the main causes of increasing CO2 emissions due to their excessive consumption of energy. The drive towards sustainability represents a challenge especially in existing buildings. The aim of the research is to support the built environment’s move onto a low-carbon path using smart technologies. This research highlights the role of smart building technologies in increasing energy savings of office buildings in Egypt, taking into consideration their incremental cost. Based upon data available on Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) website, association rule has been applied using Apriori Algorithm to identify the most used smart technologies in EDGE-certified office buildings, in addition to the different smart-orientated retrofitting scenarios that could be applied. Using EDGE software, energy assessment of an existing office building in Egypt was performed. This assessment acts as a “reference point” to quantify the impact of each smart technology and retrofitting scenario on the energy savings, incremental costs, and payback period. Limitations of the application of the different smart technologies impacted the selection process for the different scenarios. These limitations can be summarized in the suitability of application in the existing building’s systems, the availability and cost in the local market, and the potential of the building’s infrastructure adaptation to the proposed technologies. Based upon the above limitations, the best scenario was selected. Results showed that smart technologies have a great role in retrofitting of office buildings reaching more than 20% energy savings. In addition, the high initial cost of applying smart technologies could be covered within around 3 years of operation. This research could be used as a guide for improving energy performance of existing office buildings in Egypt using smart technologies.

The Role of Sustainable Environmental Design in Enhancing the Efficiency of Healthcare Buildings in Egypt

The Role of Sustainable Environmental Design in Enhancing the Efficiency of Healthcare Buildings in Egypt

Smart Furniture Technologies Supporting Functional Employees' Needs in Workspace: A Case Study of Office Building in Egypt

Smart Furniture Technologies Supporting Functional Employees' Needs in Workspace: A Case Study of Office Building in Egypt

Building for a sustainable future: investigating the thermal performance of innovative and local wall materials in an Egyptian housing unit

ABSTRACT Nowadays, the majority of nations are facing the challenge of global warming which has caused less thermal comfort in indoor environments with further energy consumption. To mitigate these negative impacts, selecting appropriate building materials with environmental design principles is crucial to meet user’s needs. This study aims to investigate the impact of implementing innovative and locally sourced building materials in the wall construction of a residential building in Egypt; to improve energy consumption and users’ thermal comfort. The thermal performance of six alternative walls was analyzed and compared using computer simulation software. Alternative wall systems included innovative materials, such as Marmox boards and aerogel panels, as well as local materials such as double wall, Singer clay blocks, and Mudbrick with strawbale. The simulation results demonstrated that the Mudbrick strawbale exhibited the best thermal performance among all alternatives. It reduced energy consumption by 45% and decreased discomfort hours to an average of 18 hours per year. The innovative materials, Marmox board, and Aerogel panel, also showed promising results that were comparable to those of Mudbrick strawbale. This confirms that local materials can offer superior thermal performance when used in appropriate wall techniques. The overall study results revealed that implementing alternative wall strategies using environmentally sustainable building materials in residential settings can lead to energy savings ranging from 29% to 45%, as well as a reduction in annual discomfort hours by over 50%. This study highlights the effectiveness of using alternative wall strategies as a solution for addressing environmental adaptation gaps in residential settings.

Comparing Retrofitting Techniques by Energy Cooling Loads Analysis: Simulation-Based Model Study for Residential Building in Egypt

Comparing Retrofitting Techniques by Energy Cooling Loads Analysis: Simulation-Based Model Study for Residential Building in Egypt

Applying Nano Coatings on Buildings to Improve Thermal Performance & Energy Efficiency: A Simulation of a Health Care Building in Egypt

Applying Nano Coatings on Buildings to Improve Thermal Performance & Energy Efficiency: A Simulation of a Health Care Building in Egypt