Building envelope and energy saving case study: a residential building in Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Around the world, most energy is consumed by buildings; residential buildings consume 40% of energy globally. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), buildings consume 50% of all energy, and 70% of the buildings in the KSA are not insulated well. Creating an envelope is a key to decreasing energy consumption and providing thermal comfort and healthy internal spaces. Thus, the main aim of this study is to test the effect of selected passive cooling strategies by using a simulation program to evaluate a variety of envelope (floor, external and internal walls and roofs) thermal characteristic proposals to create an eco-interior space, to provide the most comfortable conditions for users and to save energy in buildings in hot climates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One residential building case was selected, and some of the passive cooling strategies were tested. Simulation software—Design Builder—was used to calculate the total energy consumption in 1 year and compare the results before and after applying these strategies to the selected residential building.