The Role of Vernacular Construction Techniques and Materials for Developing Zero-Energy Homes in Various Desert Climates

Hot desert regions, like Saudi Arabia, are very challenging in terms of building energy consumption. The role of the housing sector in the country is critical as it accounts for half of the total national electricity consumption. It is important to apply sustainable energy concepts in this sector, and the application of Zero-Energy Homes (ZEHs) could be an appropriate option in this regard. In ZEHs, the energy demand needs to be reduced significantly before employing renewable energy, and a way to achieve that is through applying vernacular construction techniques and materials. This study aims to investigate the role of courtyard, mushrabiyah and adobe construction for the development of ZEHs in the five main Saudi climatic zones represented by Dhahran, Guriat, Riyadh, Jeddah and Khamis Mushait. A base house is designed, modelled and compared with measured electricity values. The comparison between the base house and the houses adapted with these techniques and materials is undertaken based on the annual electricity demand and the maximum power demand, and findings reveal that mushrabiyah can reduce them by 4% and 3%, respectively, while adobe can reduce them by 6% and 19%, respectively. Courtyards are found to be not helpful in terms of energy saving.

[1]  Serbülent Vural,et al.  Climatic effect in the formation of vernacular houses in the Eastern Black Sea region , 2007 .

[2]  M. Asif,et al.  Trends in Residential Energy Consumption in Saudi Arabia with Particular Reference to the Eastern Province , 2014 .

[3]  M. Asif,et al.  Climatic Classifications of Saudi Arabia for Building Energy Modelling , 2015 .

[4]  Tawfiq M. Abu-Ghazzeh.  Vernacular architecture education in the Islamic society of Saudi Arabia: Towards the development of an authentic contemporary built environment , 1997 .

[5]  Manzoor-ul-Haq,et al.  Electric energy consumption in selected residential buildings at KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia , 2000, 2000 Mediterranean Conference for Environment and Solar. COMPLES'2K (Cat. No.00EX493).

[6]  R. Griffiths,et al.  Sustainable earth walls to meet the building regulations , 2005 .

[7]  Sanaz Saljoughinejad,et al.  Classification of climatic strategies, used in Iranian vernacular residences based on spatial constituent elements , 2015 .

[8]  Wayne Peter Forster,et al.  The Vernacular as a Model for Sustainable Design , 2006 .

[9]  P. Torcellini,et al.  Zero Energy Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition; Preprint , 2006 .

[10]  Noor Hanita Abdul Majid,et al.  Vernacular Wisdom: The Basis of Formulating Compatible Living Environment in Oman☆ , 2012 .

[11]  H. Gonçalves,et al.  Design issues for net zero energy buildings , 2012 .

[12]  K. Shadan,et al.  Available online: , 2012 .

[13]  Mohamed A. Habib,et al.  Database for building energy prediction in Saudi Arabia , 2003 .

[14]  L. Aelenei,et al.  The Road Towards “Zero Energy” in Buildings: Lessons Learned from SOLARXXI Building in Portugal , 2010 .

[15]  Matthew R. Hall,et al.  Modern earth buildings : materials, engineering, construction and applications , 2012 .

[16]  M. Asif,et al.  Analysis of critical climate related factors for the application of zero-energy homes in Saudi Arabia , 2015 .

[17]  Nicolas Meunier,et al.  A procedure to assess suitability of plaster to protect vernacular earthen architecture , 2011 .

[18]  Tamer Abdel Aziz,et al.  New strategy of upgrading slum areas in developing countries using vernacular trends to achieve a sustainable housing development , 2011 .

[19]  A. Garcia Diaz,et al.  Adobe as a Sustainable Material: A Thermal Performance , 2010 .

[20]  Ahmet Vefik Alp.  Vernacular climate control in desert architecture , 1991 .

[21]  Matthias Meister,et al.  Building The Future Innovation In Design Materials And Construction , 2016 .

[22]  Prof. Dr. Kamal H. Batanouny.  Plants in the Deserts of the Middle East , 2000, Adaptations of Desert Organisms.

[23]  Mohammed Abdullah Eben Saleh,et al.  Al-Alkhalaf: A traditional defensible settlement of southwestern Saudi Arabia , 1996 .

[24]  Friedrich Ragette.  Traditional Domestic Architecture of the Arab Region , 2003 .

[25]  Anne Grete Hestnes,et al.  Energy use in the life cycle of conventional and low-energy buildings: A review article , 2007 .

[26]  Muhammad Asif,et al.  Challenges Facing the Application of Zero-Energy Homes in Saudi Arabia : Construction Industry and User Perspective , 2012 .

[27]  Phillip John Jones,et al.  Case study of zero energy house design in UK , 2009 .

[28]  Abdulghani Hassan Monawar,et al.  A study of energy conservation in the existing apartment buildings in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia , 2001 .

[29]  M.A.Eben Saleh.  Adobe as a thermal regulating material , 1990 .

[30]  A. A. M. Sayigh,et al.  Sustainability, Energy and Architecture: Case Studies in Realizing Green Buildings , 2013 .

[31]  Tawfiq M. Abu-Ghazzeh.  The Art of building construction in Al-Alkhalaf village, Saudi Arabia , 1995 .

[32]  Tarek Abdelsalam,et al.  The impact of sustainability trends on housing design identity of Arab cities , 2013 .

[33]  Susanne Bodach,et al.  Climate responsive building design strategies of vernacular architecture in Nepal , 2014 .

[34]  Gabrielle M. Lanier,et al.  Vernacular Architecture in the Twenty-First Century: Theory, Education and Practice , 2009 .

[35]  Luisa F. Cabeza,et al.  Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) of buildings and the building sector: A review , 2014 .

[36]  Tetsu Kubota,et al.  Comparative assessment of vernacular passive cooling techniques for improving indoor thermal comfort of modern terraced houses in hot–humid climate of Malaysia , 2015 .

[37]  Ka Heathcote,et al.  The thermal performance of earth buildings , 2011 .

[38]  Mohammed Abdullah Eben Saleh,et al.  The Integration of Tradition and Modernity: A Search for an Urban and Architectural Identity in Arriyadh, The Capital of Saudi Arabia , 1998 .

[39]  S. M. Bin Gadhi,et al.  Thermal behaviour of adobe and concrete houses in Yemen , 1992 .

[40]  R. Shanthi Priya,et al.  Solar passive techniques in the vernacular buildings of coastal regions in Nagapattinam, TamilNadu-India – a qualitative and quantitative analysis , 2012 .