A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia
This study employs Design Builder software to evaluate advanced glazing technologies for enhancing the thermal performance of residential buildings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Recognizing the energy inefficiencies caused by adopting Western architectural styles unsuited to local climatic conditions, an...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1477 |
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| author | Mohammed M. Gomaa Amr Sayed Hassan Abdallah Mohammed A. Aloshan Ayman Ragab |
| author_facet | Mohammed M. Gomaa Amr Sayed Hassan Abdallah Mohammed A. Aloshan Ayman Ragab |
| author_sort | Mohammed M. Gomaa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study employs Design Builder software to evaluate advanced glazing technologies for enhancing the thermal performance of residential buildings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Recognizing the energy inefficiencies caused by adopting Western architectural styles unsuited to local climatic conditions, and given that buildings consume 44% of national energy, we conducted a systematic parametric analysis to isolate the effects of key glazing parameters. The study examines six polycarbonate (PC) configurations and three critical comparative cases: (1) a selective double-glazed unit representing a new baseline glazing; (2) a low-U configuration to isolate thermal insulation effects; and (3) a low-SHGC configuration to evaluate solar heat gain mitigation independently. These controlled comparisons address a critical research gap by decoupling the traditionally confounded impacts of U-value and SHGC in hot climates. The simulations reveal that the 36 mm aerogel glazing (U = 0.9 W/m<sup>2</sup>·K, SHGC = 0.3) reduces cooling demand by 48.6% annually compared to single-pane glazing while maintaining indoor temperatures at 30.09 °C versus 38.43 °C at baseline. Notably, the findings demonstrate that 87% of these savings derive from SHGC reduction, with only 3.02 percentage points attributable to U-value improvements. The selective DGU benchmark delivers 85% of aerogel’s benefits at 40% lower cost, establishing it as a practical solution for most applications. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for Saudi Vision 2030’s sustainability goals, emphasizing that while aerogel glazing excels in extreme solar exposures, strategic SHGC optimization in conventional glazing can achieve the most energy savings in hot climates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2a49f4035edd4a57b367b76b72260356 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-2a49f4035edd4a57b367b76b722603562025-08-20T02:59:14ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-04-01159147710.3390/buildings15091477A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi ArabiaMohammed M. Gomaa0Amr Sayed Hassan Abdallah1Mohammed A. Aloshan2Ayman Ragab3Department of Architecture, School of Engineering, Computing& Design, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah 22246, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Architectural Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Architectural Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan 81542, EgyptThis study employs Design Builder software to evaluate advanced glazing technologies for enhancing the thermal performance of residential buildings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Recognizing the energy inefficiencies caused by adopting Western architectural styles unsuited to local climatic conditions, and given that buildings consume 44% of national energy, we conducted a systematic parametric analysis to isolate the effects of key glazing parameters. The study examines six polycarbonate (PC) configurations and three critical comparative cases: (1) a selective double-glazed unit representing a new baseline glazing; (2) a low-U configuration to isolate thermal insulation effects; and (3) a low-SHGC configuration to evaluate solar heat gain mitigation independently. These controlled comparisons address a critical research gap by decoupling the traditionally confounded impacts of U-value and SHGC in hot climates. The simulations reveal that the 36 mm aerogel glazing (U = 0.9 W/m<sup>2</sup>·K, SHGC = 0.3) reduces cooling demand by 48.6% annually compared to single-pane glazing while maintaining indoor temperatures at 30.09 °C versus 38.43 °C at baseline. Notably, the findings demonstrate that 87% of these savings derive from SHGC reduction, with only 3.02 percentage points attributable to U-value improvements. The selective DGU benchmark delivers 85% of aerogel’s benefits at 40% lower cost, establishing it as a practical solution for most applications. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for Saudi Vision 2030’s sustainability goals, emphasizing that while aerogel glazing excels in extreme solar exposures, strategic SHGC optimization in conventional glazing can achieve the most energy savings in hot climates.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1477polycarbonate glazingenergy efficiencythermal performanceaerogel insulationnet zero energy buildings |
| spellingShingle | Mohammed M. Gomaa Amr Sayed Hassan Abdallah Mohammed A. Aloshan Ayman Ragab A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia Buildings polycarbonate glazing energy efficiency thermal performance aerogel insulation net zero energy buildings |
| title | A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | A Comparative Analysis of Advanced Glazing Technologies for Energy-Efficient Buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of advanced glazing technologies for energy efficient buildings in jeddah city saudi arabia |
| topic | polycarbonate glazing energy efficiency thermal performance aerogel insulation net zero energy buildings |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1477 |
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