Analysis of thermal bridging in Arabian houses: Investigation of residential buildings in the Riyadh area

The electrical energy demand in Saudi Arabia has been increasing over the last decade. The building sector (residential, governmental and commercial) consumes about 80% of the total electricity produced. Residential buildings consume about 50% of the total electricity consumption in Saudi Arabia. Up to 70% of the electric energy consumed in buildings id for air conditioning of internal space. This study investigates the relative impact of thermal bridging through the building envelope as a cause of this scenario. The analysis focuses on typical detached villa housing, which represent 29% of all residential accommodation. The results of this paper show that insulated clay blocks by themselves do not ensure compliance with the minimum requirements of the Saudi Code. Bridging caused by mortar joints and structural elements can increase the U-value of the building envelope by 141% above the hypothetical unbridged base case. Through simulation study the impact of thermal bridging on the building is calculated at 68% increase of the total energy consumption. A 55 mm additional external insulation layers can improve the performance considerably and achieve compliance with new building codes.