Cool roof for improving building energy efficiency in moderate climates

Abstract

At present, maintaining the thermal comfort in buildings is a significant challenge faced by majority of the developing countries. In this study, the impact of the cool roof on cooling and heating loads of buildings located in moderate climates is studied. The study presents a detailed simulation of a test room to estimate the impact of the cool roof on building performance in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Input parameters, such as building thermal properties, operation schedule, orientation, and climatic conditions were implemented. Furthermore, the experimental study of the test room was conducted at the main campus of King Khalid University, Abha. The results showed that the use of the cool roof reduced the energy consumption required for building cooling by approximately 52.5 kWh/m2/year; whereas the maximum increase in energy consumption owing to the winter heating is about 3.1 kWh/m2/year. The indoor thermal comfort was improved because the maximum indoor temperature decreased by 2.7 °C. The study concludes that the cool roof is an effective method to improve the indoor thermal comfort and reduce building energy consumption in Abha, Saudi Arabia and places with similar climatic conditions.