The climate change–built environment nexus is complex and intertwined. Recognizing the rising air temperatures and solar radiations owing to climate-induced global warming, it is critical to manage the increased building energy and cooling loads in the Middle East Gulf states’ hot desert climates (Bwh). One of the top climate priorities is to promote climate resilience by reducing risks and enhancing adaptation options. This study aims to systematically review the existing literature to document building energy performances in and the associated adaptation measures of the Middle East Gulf states, regarding the implications of climate change. It is accomplished by answering the following questions: ‘How well do we understand the effects of climate change on building energy use in hot urban deserts?’ and ‘What are the most appropriate adaptation strategies to reduce energy use in hot urban deserts?’. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA), 17 studies on the influence of present and future weather scenarios on building performance are examined, considering variations in typology, methods, and input variables. Finally, the paper identifies the preferred methods and input variables for modelling building energy performance under predicted climatic changes. Passive design considerations are considered highly effective in mitigating and adapting to climate change implications. Thermal insulation and efficient window glazing are identified as the best-performing strategies, while the use of solar Photovoltaic (PV) is considered efficient in meeting the primary energy demands. The study’s findings can assist planners and designers in projecting future climatic influences on the energy usage of existing buildings.

Retrofitting an existing building can oftentimes be more cost-effective than building a new facility. Since buildings consume a significant amount of energy, particularly for heating and cooling, and because existing buildings comprise the largest segment of the built environment, it is important to initiate energy conservation retrofits to reduce energy consumption and the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting buildings. However, conserving energy is not the only reason for retrofitting existing buildings. The goal should be to create a high-performance building by applying an integrated, whole-building design process to the project during the planning phase that ensures that all key design objectives are met. This paper presents a real case study of the retrofitting of an existing building to achieve lower energy consumption. Indeed, most of the constructed buildings in the UAE are unsuitable for the region, which is characterized by a very harsh climate that causes massive cooling loads and energy consumption due to an appropriate selection of design parameters at the design level. In this study, a monthly computer simulation of energy consumption of an office building in Sharjah was carried out under UAE weather conditions. Several parameters, including the building orientation, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, external shading, window-to-wall ratio, and the U-values of the walls and the roof, were investigated and optimized to achieve lower energy consumption. The simulation shows that the best case is 41.7% more efficient than the real (original) case and 30.6% more than the base case. The most sensitive parameter in the retrofitting alternatives is the roof component, which affects the energy savings by 8.49%, followed by the AC system with 8.34% energy savings if well selected using the base case. Among the selected five components, a new roof structure contributed the most to the decrease in the overall energy consumption (approximately 38%). This is followed by a new HVAC system, which leads to a 37% decrease, followed by a new wall type with insulation, resulting in a 20% decrease.

This study investigates energy efficiency in high-rise residential buildings in Abu Dhabi, where the increased use of glass building façades has led to increased air-conditioning costs due to heat gain. The research focuses on evaluating the type of glass and the appropriate cavity between glass façades to minimize energy consumption while incorporating sustainability and innovative design principles. To achieve these objectives, this study employs a Double Skin Façade (DSF), a high-performance façade that adapts to the external climate conditions to fulfill internal cooling load requirements and meet occupants’ needs. Data were collected through an online survey distributed among residents of a selected residential tower, and a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was utilized to analyze the gathered information. The selected case study was analyzed using Energy Plus simulation software using the existing data and available details. The analysis aimed to identify the optimal DSF design that significantly enhances energy efficiency. The findings of this study emphasize the substantial impact of the optimum DSF design on energy efficiency in high-rise residential buildings. Through modeling existing data and comparing them with new model results for each variable, this study demonstrates that a DSF with a 35 cm cavity, comprising a double-glazed single skin layer in the interior and a Low-E double-glazed single skin layer as an outer layer, can reduce overall air-conditioning energy consumption by over 25%. These outcomes provide valuable insights into implementing DSF as a solution to address the unique energy challenges presented by high-rise residential buildings in hot climates.

Although many advanced insulation materials have been recently developed, very few are eco-friendly and their production requires a substantial amount of energy and complex manufacturing processes. To address this issue, a bio-based thermal insulation material was developed using short- and long-grained puffed rice. A set of experiments was subsequently carried out to identify the best rice type and the optimal range for the most influential parameters (sample amount, temperature, and moisture level). Our findings revealed that short-grained rice exhibited greater puffing ability and was thus adopted in further material optimization experiments. These assessments indicated that the most optimal thermal conductivity of the insulation material and the highest puffing ratio was attained at 12–15% moisture, 260–270 °C temperature, and 15–18 g sample weight. The thermal properties, including thermal conductivity and fire reaction, and thermal performance of samples obtained using these parameters were similar to those of common insulation materials.

The research is aimed at comparing residential building windows’ thermal performance with and without thermal shutters, and at examining thermal shutters’ performance upon being insulated with various types of insulation, glares, outside temperatures, and solar radiation. As an example, one case study based out of the UAE is chosen, covering the status of the housing typology and traits of building energy consumption. The study uses the primary tool of computer simulation software “DesignBuilder” to examine the impact of window shutters design on energy consumption and environmental impact. It was found that the usage of conventional insulating materials within the shutters is sufficient for the house to attain a reduction in heat gain of up to 50%. Furthermore, the application of the rolling shutters with analyzed control strategies recorded a potential reduction in equivalent CO₂ emissions level, up to 15%, which would decrease the environmental burden on a national level. The simulations have shown high insulating materials did not differ much in the reduction in energy when running a simulation for a whole unit of housing rather than experimenting a window unit separably as reviewed in the literature. The findings can be applicable to other regions with similar climatic conditions and cultural constraints, such as those of the Middle East and the GCC countries.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered a strategic hub with a business-friendly free zone and a fast-growing economy. Globally, governments realize the importance of updating electric energy grids and establishing smart grid systems. The smart grid system (SGS) combines connected networks and the technological era, providing several methods to produce power from multiple sources. This research aims to analyze the UAE’s smart grid system’s development challenges through a survey intended to extract the most significant guidelines and issues affecting the progressive implementation of SGS in Abu Dhabi city, as these issues have not been thoroughly investigated. An in-depth empirical study was conducted to investigate the significant factors affecting the SGS through four aspects: nature, sponsor support, government responsibility, and market expansion. The “Policy Delphi” and a sophisticated survey tool called Qualtrics were adopted by a biased group of opinion specialists. The survey is intended to extract and analyze the most important guidelines and issues affecting the progressive SGS implementation in Abu Dhabi city. The findings of this study illustrated the drivers and barriers that affect the smart grid and the variables that should be addressed to enhance its functionality. Energy efficiency and loss reduction were ranked as the top driver with 32%. Operational and connectivity challenges were cited as the major obstacles to SGS implementation. Finally, the results indicate that smart grid technology can promote economic growth in the country by enabling a sustainable electricity supply.