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Environmental sustainability assessment of buildings in hot climates: the case of the UAE

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  • AboulNaga, Mohsen M.
  • Elsheshtawy, Yasser H.

Abstract

Sustainability has acquired great importance due to the negative impact of various developments on the environment. The rapid growth during the last decade has been accompanied by active construction which, in some instances, neglected the impact on the environment and human activities. The impact of developments on the traditional heritage has not been taken into consideration although the latter represents a rich resource for sustainable building practices. The study aims at examining these developments in the UAE using an assessment tool that measures the performance of buildings in terms of their sustainability. This study attempts to: (a) develop a comprehensive definition of sustainability to suit UAE needs; (b) classify sustainable building practices at international and regional levels; (c) assess building performance in the UAE; and (d) establish guidelines for future sustainable architecture. T-Sol software was used to predict the CO2 emission level in selected buildings in the UAE. Results illustrate that average energy use/area in domestic buildings is high (213 kWh/m2) and public buildings showed less sustainable measures in terms of energy features, energy performance and environmental features. Issues considered in the assessment of buildings such as energy use per square metre and CO2 emission are alarming. Traditional buildings in the UAE were more sustainable than contemporary buildings, however.

Suggested Citation

  • AboulNaga, Mohsen M. & Elsheshtawy, Yasser H., 2001. "Environmental sustainability assessment of buildings in hot climates: the case of the UAE," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 553-563.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:24:y:2001:i:3:p:553-563
    DOI: 10.1016/S0960-1481(01)00041-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Vincenzo Formisano & Bernardino Quattrociocchi & Maria Fedele & Mario Calabrese, 2018. "From Viability to Sustainability: The Contribution of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Zeyad Amin Al-Absi & Mohd Hafizal Mohd Isa & Mazran Ismail, 2020. "Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and Their Optimum Position in Building Walls," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-25, February.
    3. Taleb, H.M. & Pitts, A.C., 2009. "The potential to exploit use of building-integrated photovoltaics in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 1092-1099.
    4. Mehreen Saleem Gul & Elmira NezamiFar, 2020. "Investigating the Interrelationships among Occupant Attitude, Knowledge and Behaviour in LEED-Certified Buildings Using Structural Equation Modelling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Hamed H. Saber & Ali E. Hajiah, 2022. "Thermal Resistance of 30° Sloped, Enclosed Airspaces Subjected to Upward Heat Flow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-38, March.
    6. Lindita Bande & Adalberto Guerra Cabrera & Young Ki Kim & Afshin Afshari & Mario Favalli Ragusini & Melanie Gines Cooke, 2019. "A Building Retrofit and Sensitivity Analysis in an Automatically Calibrated Model Considering the Urban Heat Island Effect in Abu Dhabi, UAE," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-18, December.
    7. Philipp Rode & Alexandra Gomes & Muhammad Adeel & Fizzah Sajjad & Andreas Koch & Syed Monjur Murshed, 2020. "Between Abundance and Constraints: The Natural Resource Equation of Asia’s Diverging, Higher-Income City Models," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-33, October.
    8. Amna Shibeika & Maatouk Khoukhi & Omar Al Khatib & Nouf Alzahmi & Shamma Tahnoon & Maryam Al Dhahri & Nouf Alshamsi, 2021. "Integrated Design Process for High-Performance Buildings; a Case Study from Dubai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Doukas, Haris & Patlitzianas, Konstantinos D. & Kagiannas, Argyris G. & Psarras, John, 2006. "Renewable energy sources and rationale use of energy development in the countries of GCC: Myth or reality?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 755-770.
    10. Jian Zhang & Guishan Yang & Lijie Pu & Buzhuo Peng, 2014. "Trends and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Sustainability in Eastern Anhui Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-17, November.

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