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Title:	Urban heat island and its influence on the residential building energy consumption : a case of Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Authors:	Ammar Amjed Maghrabi (P93294)
Supervisor:	Mohd. Farid Mohamed, Associate Prof Ar. Dr.
Keywords:	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia -- Dissertations Dissertations, Academic -- Malaysia Urban heat Residential building energy consumption
Issue Date:	24-May-2022
Description:	Due to the rapid growth and disorganized urbanization process, severe environmental issues have been witnessed around the globe. One of these issues is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) where urban areas witness higher air temperature compared to the countrysides. Globally, several studies were established on the UHI and its relation to the built environment. However, there is a lack of UHI research on the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the current research is conducted to bridge the gap of knowledge in assessing the UHI phenomena in Makkah city through a series of continuous on-site measurements and their relation to building energy performance. The current study aims at exploring the role of the UHI on the energy consumption of the residential sector based on the variation of ambient air temperature and relative humidity. To achieve this aim, the researcher sought to meet the key objectives are: (1) To identify the variation of the existing microclimate in different locations within Makkah city (2) To explore the relation between energy consumption and dwelling allocation within the different urban context (3) To estimate the energy-saving after applying mitigation strategies. The methodology adopted for this study relies on interrelated techniques, including on-site measurements, numerical simulation modelling and model validation process to ensure the virtual model reliability. The current research classified the city of Makkah into three main zones, including urban, suburban, and rural areas. Each zone represents areas with different built environment characteristics. From May to the end of August 2019, an hourly on-site measurement of air temperature and relative humidity was observed in the urban and suburban locations using iButton DS1923-F5 data loggers and a governmental weather station in the rural area of Makkah. DesignBuilder simulation software was utilized as a primary investigatory tool to evaluate the UHI influence on the energy performance for a typical residential building. A validation process was employed to be confident of the simulation findings of DesignBuilder models under the different microclimate conditions. Finally, extensive simulation models were conducted to improve the energy performance of the selected dwelling by applying passive strategies. The findings indicated that there is an existing microclimate variation in Makkah city, where the urban area is characterized by a 6.3 ℃ higher air temperature compared to the rural area. The simulation results showed an increase in the energy consumption by 9.4% in the urban area compared to the rural location due to the UHI impact. The simulation findings of applying different passive strategies to the selected dwelling included modifications of the wall, roof and window glazing specifications. The results indicated that increasing the wall insulation thickness from 5cm to 25cm can promote energy saving of approximately 12% in the urban area of Makkah, which is considered optimum. The research contributes to understanding of the UHI in the city of Makkah and its influence on building energy performance. The research also evaluated possible energy-saving with regard to applying different energy consumption mitigation strategies. These findings can be used as reference for future planning to reduce building energy consumption.,Ph.D
Pages:	249
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment / Fakulti Kejuruteraan dan Alam Bina

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