Building for a sustainable future: investigating the thermal performance of innovative and local wall materials in an Egyptian housing unit

Abstract

Nowadays, the majority of nations are facing the challenge of global warming which has caused less thermal comfort in indoor environments with further energy consumption. To mitigate these negative impacts, selecting appropriate building materials with environmental design principles is crucial to meet user’s needs. This study aims to investigate the impact of implementing innovative and locally sourced building materials in the wall construction of a residential building in Egypt; to improve energy consumption and users’ thermal comfort. The thermal performance of six alternative walls was analyzed and compared using computer simulation software. Alternative wall systems included innovative materials, such as Marmox boards and aerogel panels, as well as local materials such as double wall, Singer clay blocks, and Mudbrick with strawbale. The simulation results demonstrated that the Mudbrick strawbale exhibited the best thermal performance among all alternatives. It reduced energy consumption by 45% and decreased discomfort hours to an average of 18 hours per year. The innovative materials, Marmox board, and Aerogel panel, also showed promising results that were comparable to those of Mudbrick strawbale. This confirms that local materials can offer superior thermal performance when used in appropriate wall techniques. The overall study results revealed that implementing alternative wall strategies using environmentally sustainable building materials in residential settings can lead to energy savings ranging from 29% to 45%, as well as a reduction in annual discomfort hours by over 50%. This study highlights the effectiveness of using alternative wall strategies as a solution for addressing environmental adaptation gaps in residential settings.