Impact of green roof and orientation on the energy performance of buildings: A case study from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest countries in the Middle East region in terms of population, geographic area and scale of economy. It has a fast growing energy sector with over 76% of the total electricity being consumed in the building sector. Domestic buildings account for 51% of total electricity consumption. Predominantly due to hot climatic conditions, most of the energy consumption in buildings is attributed to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) loads. In terms of supply mix, the country entirely relies on oil and gas to meet its energy requirements. The high growth in energy demand is imposing stringent energy, environmental and economic challenges for Saudi Arabia. The present work aims to explore prospects of energy saving in buildings through the application of green roof technology. With the help of ECOTECT modelling, the work examines the effectiveness of green roof on considering modern faculty homes built in the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals situated in the hot-humid climatic conditions of the Easter Province of the country. The same building has also been investigated for the hot-dry climate of Riyadh, the capital city. The work also examines the impact of orientations on the energy performance of buildings.