Building a sustainable future: evaluating eco-friendly materials for energy efficiency and climate change mitigation

Abstract

Rapid population growth has increased housing demand. This demand was mainly addressed using conventional and unsustainable construction materials, which raised concerns about intensifying global warming. Economically challenged communities lacking access to cooling systems are more vulnerable to climate change effects. This research proposes strategies to address future climate change challenges, assessing the energy efficiency of a lab-developed eco-friendly construction material. A TRNSYS-based model was used in this study to evaluate four materials: rammed earth, hemp-lime bricks, DOUM fibre-stabilized material with quicklime, and cinder blocks in a real-scale building. Prior to the energy assessment, GenOpt software was used to ensure efficient building design. Optimizing the building's envelope can reduce annual thermal loads by up to 52%. The DOUM-clay brick house, with high thermal mass, exhibits significant potential. In comparison, the cooling loads of the cinder block, the rammed earth, and the hemp clay houses are 24.8%, 11.9%, and 9.2% lower, respectively. Additionally, the study considers the impact of climate change on buildings in a hot, semi-arid climate. The findings reveal a 20.3% lower thermal load for the lab-developed brick house compared to the cinder block house. The study also anticipates a reduction in natural ventilation's potential in the future.