The Impact of Passive Design Strategies on a Villa in Hot Climate: Case in Sharjah, UAE

Abstract

Energy consumption has always been a critical environmental issue, especially in countries with extreme conditions such as United Arab Emirates (UAE). The building sector has become a key contributor to the increasing energy demands and corresponding carbon footprints worldwide. Since the residential sector is the second highest energy consuming sector after the commercial sector, it is important to study tools and methods to reduce the energy consumed by this sector. In order to optimize the energy performance, passive design strategies, such as shading systems, has been an efficient strategy to achieve that. This study aims to test the impact of shading system, which is one of the most effective passive design strategies for hot climate, on the energy consumption of Ibn Khaldoun Villa in Sharjah, UAE. For this purpose, DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus software are utilized for the modeling and simulation of the villa. To test the impact of shading system on the energy performance of the building, four scenarios will be considered taking into account different buildings orientations while applying the shading device. Results shows that scenario (3), where the building’s most glazed side faces north while using proper shading system, is the most efficient solution in reducing the energy consumption of the building with percentage of 11.07%.