The impact of building orientation on energy consumption in a domestic house in desert climate

Abstract

Morocco has set the goal of introducing new methods of construction and positioning among the leaders in the African continent in the field of renewable energy and sustainable buildings, efforts are therefore focused on developing an energy efficiency policy. Orientation is one of the key factors that impact building’s energy consumption, it’s a very important factor to consider in order to avoid summer overheating and limit winter losses. The purpose of this scientific article is to study the impact of the orientation of a house on its annual energy needs in terms of heating and cooling essentially, but also its internal and solar energy gains and its losses in relation with infiltration, transmission and ventilation. In this regard, simulations were carried out with eight different possible orientations on a small house, located in one geographical area known by its desert climate. The final purpose is to determine the suitable orientation for dwellings in this geographical area for energy saving while guaranteeing the thermal comfort. Based on our analysis, it was revealed that a well-orientated house can save a considerable amount of energy throughout its life cycle.