Effectiveness of Passive Adaptation Measures Against Climate Change for Buildings in Hot, Humid and Desert Climate

Abstract

Due to climate change, the energy demand of buildings for cooling and heating are changing considerably. Besides, it is also adversely impacting the energy efficiency & thermal comfort of the present building stock. Passive design measures for buildings or Passive climate change adaptation measures (PCAMs) can be extremely useful in reducing and mitigating its negative effects. In this study, various PCAMs were used to analyze its efficacy in minimizing the energy consumption of a detached house or villa in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with its hot, humid and desert climate. However, the uniqueness of this research lies from its emphasis on the usage of numerous types of Phase Change Materials (PCM) to reduce the consumption of energy. Besides the effect of green roof with variable Leaf Area Index, white paint (Short Wave Reflectivity) and natural ventilation on the villa’s energy consumption is also studied. Through these PCAMs up to 21.2 % reduction in total energy consumption, 31.2% reduction in cooling demand, and 34.7 % decrease in heating load can be achieved.