Assessment of overheating risk in free-running residential buildings in Palestine under future climate

Abstract

This paper addresses the impact of climate change on residential buildings in Palestine, which recently faced an increased risk of overheating. The study investigates the effect of the thermal properties of the building envelope of a single detached house on increasing the building's resilience to climate change. The overheating risk is evaluated using ASHRAE 55 standard under typical historical and future years (2035, 2065, and 2090) based on RCP-4.5 and RCP-8.5 emission scenarios in three climate zones in Palestine (2A,3A and 2B based on ASHRAE 169-2020). The simulation results reveal that the Medium Energy Efficient Building (MEEB) is more effective in enhancing the thermal comfort of the building compared to the Low Energy Efficient Building (LEEB). However, the risk of overheating increases in future climates, particularly in vulnerable populations and specific locations in the hot, dry zones, such as 2B. This necessitates the implementation of combined mitigation strategies, including both active and passive cooling strategies, highlighting the importance of improving the building’s indoor environment and envelope. The findings emphasize the need to incorporate the impact of climate change into building design to ensure energy efficiency, thermal comfort and promote climate-resilient buildings.