Will energy regulations in the Gulf States make buildings more comfortable – A scoping study of residential buildings

Bahrain; Persian Gulf States

Abstract: Building envelope impacts upon energy consumption and indoor environment. The relationship between envelope components and indoor environment has become increasingly important, especially with the new emphasis on visual comfort, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This paper examines the interaction between occupant thermal comfort and envelope component regulations in the Gulf States. The country chosen for this study is the Kingdom of Bahrain, the smallest country in the Gulf region. Simulation results and comparative studies were employed to investigate the impact of the current envelope component regulations on the internal environment. The paper focuses on residential buildings and concludes that the envelope component regulations contribute positively to the internal thermal performance. Although these envelope components are not generally the primary elements that impact upon internal thermal comfort there are circumstances when the components become very warm and occupants positioned close to them will experience discomfort. This paper shows that the thermal insulation regulation makes a small impact on thermal comfort, whereas the window regulation, particularly glazing, is more influential and that for most window areas, solar impacts are generally large. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Applied Energy is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)