Thermal Environmental Monitoring of Apartment Building in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The overconsumption of finite energy resources by the residential sector, especially during the summer season in Saudi Arabia, is due to an almost insatiable need for air conditioning to reduce heat. Cheap electricity prices also contribute to high consumption in apartment buildings. At least 50% of electricity consumption is used in households, where air conditioners consume about three-quarters of total usage. This study will evaluate the thermal performance of low-rise residential buildings in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The selected building, newly built in 2020, has three floors. To explore the internal thermal performance of the selected apartment, readings were taken in June 2021. Data collected included indoor air temperature values recorded every fifteen minutes., over a one-week period, in two parts of the case study building. In addition, point measurements of specific environment variables were performed at selected time points. On-site readings have been tabulated and analyzed, and the results provide a more accurate measurement of the fabric and design performance of existing buildings, particularly the side walls, floors and ceilings. outside, to evaluate internal thermal performance. The results illustrate the effectiveness of existing building structures used in the case study building. Also, this study concluded that indoor surface temperatures were up to 6.5 °C higher than indoor air temperatures, despite having thermal insulation on external surfaces.