The Influence of Buildings Proportions and Orientations on Energy Demand for Cooling in Hot Arid Climate

Abstract

Considering the growing number of people around the world, and even limited resources, the global demand for energy will be massive. In Egypt, energy consumption in buildings is rising relative to every other sector because of the cooling and lighting needs. Thus, reducing energy demand will be a major issue in buildings. In this context, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of different building proportions with different building width to length W/L and surface-to-volume ratios S/V considering various building orientations on the energy demand for cooling in Aswan city that located in the hot arid regions. Design-Builder (V.4.0.0.105) tool was used to evaluate the amount of energy needed for cooling in the residential buildings located in Aswan city. Building proportions and orientations have been found to have a significant impact on energy consumption for cooling in hot climates. Furthermore, the study discovered that building surface-to-volume ratios S/V less than 0.38 could save more than 36% of the energy needed for cooling. Furthermore, a significant correlation was discovered between building surface-to-volume ratios S/V and energy demand for cooling.