Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Egyptian Middle-Income Housing: A Study of PV System Integration and Building Envelope Optimization in Sakan Masr

Abstract

Facing rapid urbanization, rising temperatures, and a residential sector that accounted for 38% of Egypt’s electricity use in 2022, middle-income housing presents a critical yet underexplored opportunity for energy efficiency improvements. This study investigates how the integration of passive design strategies and rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems can enhance energy performance in this segment, using the Sakan Masr housing project in New Cairo as a case study. Addressing a research gap—namely the limited analysis of combined strategies in Egypt’s middle-income housing—the study follows a four-phase methodology: identifying dominant building orientations; simulating electricity demand and thermal comfort using DesignBuilder; optimizing the building envelope with passive measures; and evaluating PV system performance across south-facing and east–west configurations using PV-SOL. Results reveal that passive strategies such as improved glazing and shading can enhance thermal comfort by up to 10% and reduce cooling loads. Also, east–west PV arrays outperform south-facing ones, producing over 14% more electricity, reducing costs by up to 50%, and avoiding up to 168 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The findings highlight that passive improvements with smart PV integration—offer a cost-effective pathway toward Net Zero Energy goals, with significant implications for national housing policy and Egypt’s renewable energy transition.