Energy Efficiency Based on Passive Design Solutions in UAE

Energy consumption in the building sector accounts for over 30% of global final energy consumption. This figure is much higher in developed countries like the UAE, where energy consumption by the built sector can reach up to 80%. Thus, developing appropriate future energy and climate change strategies requires alternative methods for the reduction of energy consumption in buildings. Passive design techniques, such as shading devices and courtyards, are used in sustainable architecture to create structures that harness sunlight and wind for lighting and ventilation while keeping away heat gain and glare. This research aims to investigate and create a comparison between the effects of two passive design solutions on a villa housing project in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, through the use of Revit software. The study concluded that courtyards significantly outperformed shading devices in reducing energy costs, providing a greater overall impact on energy consumption. In this research, a comparative study was done between three building types in the same area: a villa without any passive design solution, a villa with the introduction of shading devices, and a villa with a courtyard. The research shows that courtyards, by enhancing natural ventilation and air circulation, lowered HVAC costs to approximately 14.69 AED/m2 per year, compared to 33.06 AED/m2 per year for louvers. While louvers improved lighting efficiency and reduced lighting needs, they led to slightly higher costs for window shades. Overall, courtyards achieved a cost reduction of 24.24 AED/m2 per year versus 6.61 AED/m2 per year for shading devices, emphasizing the importance of integrating passive design strategies for sustainable building practices and climate change mitigation.