Residential Building In Egypt Research Articles

Energy Performance Efficiency and Cost Analysis by BIM-Based Model Simulation for Residential Buildings in Egypt

Energy Performance Efficiency and Cost Analysis by BIM-Based Model Simulation for Residential Buildings in Egypt

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.

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.

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.

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

Thermal and Energy Efficiency of Roof Tiles Fabricated from Crushed Aluminum Slag and Kaolin Clay for Social Residential Buildings in Egypt

Thermal and Energy Efficiency of Roof Tiles Fabricated from Crushed Aluminum Slag and Kaolin Clay for Social Residential Buildings in Egypt

A simulation-based study to evaluate the cooling potential of nocturnal radiative cooling systems for residential buildings in Egypt

During the first years of the last decade, Egypt used to face recurrent electricity cut-offs in summer. In the past few years, the electricity tariff dramatically increased. Radiative cooling to the clear night sky is a renewable energy source that represents a relative solution. The dry desert climate promotes nocturnal radiative cooling applications. This study investigates the potential of nocturnal radiative cooling systems (RCSs) to reduce the energy consumption of the residential building sector in Egypt. The system technology proposed in this work is based on uncovered solar thermal collectors integrated into the building hydronic system. By implementing different control strategies, the same system could be used for both cooling and heating applications. The goal of this paper is to analyze the performance of RCSs in residential buildings in Egypt. The dynamic simulation program TRNSYS was used to simulate the thermal behavior of the system. The relevant issues of Egypt as a case-study are firstly overviewed. Then the paper introduces the work done to develop a building model that represents a typical residential apartment in Egypt. Typical occupancy profiles were developed to define the internal thermal gains. The adopted control strategy to optimize the system operation is presented as well. To fully understand and hence evaluate the operation of the proposed RCS, four simulation cases were considered: 1. a reference case (fully passive), 2. the stand-alone operation of the RCS, 3. ideal heating & cooling operation (fully-active), and 4. the hybrid-operation (when the active cooling system is supported by the proposed RCS). The analysis considered the main three distinct climates in Egypt, represented by the cities of Alexandria, Cairo and Asyut. The hotter and drier weather conditions resulted in a higher cooling potential and larger temperature differences. The simulated cooling power in Asyut was 28.4 W/m² for a 70 m² absorber field. For a smaller field area of 10 m², the cooling power reached 109 W/m² but with humble temperature differences. To meet the rigorous thermal comfort conditions, the proposed sensible RCS cannot fully replace conventional air-conditioning units, especially in humid areas like Alexandria. When working in a hybrid system, a 10% reduction in the active cooling energy demand could be achieved in Asyut to keep the cooling set-point at 24 °C. This percentage reduction was nearly doubled when the thermal comfort set-point was increased by two degrees (26 °C). In a sensitivity analysis, external shading devices as a passive measure as well as the implementation of the Egyptian code for buildings (ECP306/1–2005) were also investigated. The analysis of this study raised other relevant aspects to discuss, e.g. system-sizing, environmental effects, limitations and recommendations.

Toward Sustainable Dynamic Consumer Response Structure for Residential Buildings in Egypt

Toward Sustainable Dynamic Consumer Response Structure for Residential Buildings in Egypt

Occupants’ Perspectives of the Use of Smartphones during Fire Evacuation from High-Rise Residential Buildings

Over the past few years there has been a significant change in fire safety design and management. As the possibility of safe escape is the most crucial aspect of a building’s fire safety features, the understanding of human behaviour under fire conditions is important for a successful evacuation. Previous research studies have developed models, prototypes, and serious games that help engineers/architects to design or firefighters to improve design so that the building facilitates a smooth evacuation process. Although these studies have looked into human behaviour, perceptions of important stakeholders (such as occupants, structural engineers, fire engineers, facility managers) are still not understood. These perceptions are important for the appropriate application of technology for evacuation. The broader research effort, of which this paper is part, stems from the premise that bespoke evacuation instructions can be sent directly to evacuees’ smartphones. Information from a BIM model with the aid of sensors can be used to customise these evacuation instructions. The prospect of information being delivered to occupants during a fire emergency is still at its premature phase and more research is needed. Twenty-three interviews were conducted with occupants who currently live in high-rise residential buildings in Egypt and the United Kingdom to understand their views of using smartphones to assist during fire evacuations. The sampling strategy targeted occupants who currently live in high-rise residential buildings but have not necessarily experienced a fire evacuation. The research clearly shows the importance of smartphones during evacuation and the role they can play in assisting occupants to find the fastest and safest egress route. The interview findings will assist in future research to develop an evacuation framework system that could be implemented for high-rise residential buildings.

The impact of using different weather datasets for predicting current and future energy performance of residential buildings in Egypt

As prognostic methods for buildings’ performance in present and future, energy simulations mainly rely, among other inputs, on weather datasets including Typical Meteorological Years (TMY), where the selected measurement period of the weather station is a crucial parameter. To quantify the predicted energy consumption’s discrepancies that may occur while using a recently generated TMY (2018-TMYx) instead of the commonly used Egyptian TMY (ETMY) that were created in 2003, both weather datasets, in addition to their future climate change projections in 2050 and 2080, were applied into Design Builder’s energy performance simulations for two residential buildings in different regions of Cairo and Aswan, Egypt. Results show that using weather datasets from different periods caused a maximum difference in annual energy consumption per flat by 933 kWh in present and 1508 kWh in 2080. The study proves the obsolescence of the commonly used ETMY due to the significant differences in energy simulation readings compared to the 2018 datasets.

Enhancing Natural Ventilation in Low-Rise Residential Buildings in Egypt through Solar Chimney Application

Enhancing Natural Ventilation in Low-Rise Residential Buildings in Egypt through Solar Chimney Application

DESIGNING THE ENTRANCES OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, BETWEEN ORIGINALITY AND CONTEMPORANEITY TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.

The design of the entrances to the residential buildings is one of the most important impressions that affect man upon entering the dwelling, as well as it has many cultural, material, and social connotations for the owners of the residential buildings. And when studying models of the entrances of traditional Islamic buildings in the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, we find an elegant taste and commitment to many design criteria, the most important of which is achieving privacy and achieving social and environmental sustainability standards for individuals, compared to what we see today in terms of designing residential entrances of contemporary buildings. As we find that many of the contemporary entrances neglect the achievement of sustainability standards and at the same time neglect the achievement of aesthetic standards. Therefore, we seek in this research to reach aesthetically and environmentally designs criteria, to achieve a good design for the entrance of residential buildings in Egypt, through the use of the analytical and comparative approach between the models presented in traditional Islamic residential buildings, and modern residential buildings in Egypt, and compare them with international models to reach balanced design standards that are suitable for the present time and to achieve sustainability standards.

Development of Drainage and water supply systems to reduce water consumption in Residential Buildings in Egypt

The issue of water is gaining Egypt's attention in recent times, especially after the start of the Ethiopian Dam and Egypt's entry into the era of water poverty, where water is considered one of the most important natural and environmental resources. Moreover, the constant pursuit of increasing development rates, Wherever the residential building sector acquires a large proportion of water consumption between different activities. The research aims to rationalize water consumption in residential buildings by developing water supply and drainage systems responsible for distributing water within various units and spaces. Consequently, the research focuses on water treatment and the integration of water reuse techniques within residential buildings. The research studies a repeated porotype of economy housing in new cities in Egypt. The study surveyed number of users of the same levels to get the water consumption rates per unit. The research finds that water consumption can be reduced by 30.4% in residential units by modifying water supply and drainage systems design Which is reflected in the cost savings. In addition, the cost of proposed system can be returned within 2.5 years comparing to the savings cost.

Life cycle assessment of a residential building in Egypt: A case study

The present study discussed the significant environmental impacts of a residential building located in New Cairo, Egypt. This covered all life cycle steps from cradle to cradle with a projected 60-year life span: (i) an inventory of all the construction materials were analysed, covering the building structure as well as the energy consumption; (ii) three types of functional units were defined; (iii) the two top building materials were examined, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the impact associated with the choice of building materials. The result shows that two life cycle phases concerning, manufacturing and operation, were more significant in all of the impact categories. It also shows that building structure and flooring result in most of the environmental loads. In terms of the sensitivity analysis, it was found the structural concrete had the largest impact, dominating all selected impact categories except ODP. Finally, limitations and challenges are discussed to explore better design decisions for selecting buildings’ structural systems in future studies.

Solar chimney combined with earth to-air heat exchanger for passive cooling of residential buildings in hot areas

In this study, a novel interrelationship between the ventilation rate and the solar chimney design parameters, EAHE geometrical specifications, pressure drop, and climatic conditions in the hot arid area was presented based on experimental and numerical comprehensive investigations. This new correlation simplified designing and optimizing of the passive cooling/heating and ventilation system. Moreover, this correlation was used in a case study of passive cooling/heating and ventilation of a two-stories residential building in Egypt by TRNSYS simulation. The indoor operative air temperatures, heating and cooling loads, thermal comfort conditions, energy consumptions/savings, and CO2 emission savings were calculated and analyzed. Two cases were simulated and compared with the basic-case. In case 1, the basic-case combined with the solar chimney and EAHE. Case 2 had a hybrid passive and active ventilation, which included case 1 equipped with electrical fans that continued operating for 24 h. Finally, an economic study was conducted to calculate the payback period and discount payback period for the construction of such a system using the local Egyptian market equipment. The basic case results show that the zonal temperature was more than the ambient temperature yearly, and in summer, the indoor temperature exceeded the surrounding temperature by 5–6 °C. Using the proposed system in case 1 and case 2 attained a zonal temperature around 5 °C and 9 °C less than the ambient temperature in the summer season, respectively. However, the total annual electrical energy and CO2 emission savings were 42.9 kWh/m2/year and 4.545 tons/year, respectively, in case 2. Finally, the simple payback period was 5.4 years, and the discount payback period was 6.8 years.

Identifying the Influence of Design Variations on the Performance of PV Systems for Net-Plus Energy Residential Buildings in Egypt

Identifying the Influence of Design Variations on the Performance of PV Systems for Net-Plus Energy Residential Buildings in Egypt

Economic evaluation of rooftop grid‐connected photovoltaic systems for residential building in Egypt

Economic evaluation of rooftop grid‐connected photovoltaic systems for residential building in Egypt

Effectiveness of High Energy Efficiency to Minimize Energy Consumption for Residential Buildings in Egypt

The effects of global warming and climate change have become a critical issue in our world where the average air temperature rises to 2 ° C that leads to sea-level rise, seasonal disturbances storms, floods, and massive fires. [1] Increasing energy demand during the cooling period has become an essential issue in Egypt. Solutions can be applied to develop the building envelope for existing buildings by implementing a different technique that can enhance energy performance and improve indoor thermal comfort .The roof is the one of building envelope components which can reduce energy consumption and enhance indoor thermal comfort in buildings. The scope of this paper deals with evaluating the energy performance of residential buildings using different roof techniques: cool roof, green roof, isolated roof and integrated roof with Phase Change Materials (PCM) in Egypt that can lead to different solution of roof to achieve ideal energy performances .The assessment is carried out by using the Design Builder Software which can be able to calculate the monthly energy consumption.