The Effect of Housing Density on Energy Efficiency in Buildings: The Case of the Gaza Strip

Abstract

The current global research efforts pay a significant attention to the application of strategies that improves sustainability in our built environment. There are several studies in the field of sustainable urban planning, and energy-efficient design and the impact of urban pattern on energy consumption. Housing density is one of the important elements that affect urban planning of residential neighborhoods. Residential buildings are considered the most architectural structures consuming energy in the world. Thus, this study examines the effect of housing density on energy efficiency of buildings considering the conditions of the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Gaza is characterized by the shortage of energy resources and the scarcity of residential land. Thus, the main aim of this study is to highlight the impact of housing density on energy consumption considering different configurations of residential buildings in an attempt to detect the most efficient urban configurations. This is carried out through an analytical approach that reviews the current situation, compares it to similar cases, and draws out conclusions and recommendations. In this regard, the study assumes that the residential density of different forms of buildings in residential neighborhoods significantly affect the thermal performance of the housing unit and the resulting heating and cooling loads. Hence, the study seeks to evaluate the energy consumption of different types of housing units in urban configurations with a variety of residential densities. The research is carried out using quantitative assessment based on the implementation of two simulation tools: the ECOTECT, as a basic tool and the Design Builder, as a validation tool. The research concludes a set of results. Firstly, the impact of residential density on energy consumption is dependent on the type and height of housing unit. The study also found that the row housing type offers a reduction in energy consumption per square meter by about 50% compared to the apartment buildings in the case of isolated buildings. In the urban situation, the observed reduction ceased to 14% as a result of the reduced surface area and higher cooling loads. This mean that in some cases the horizontal expansion of residential buildings is more energy efficient than the vertical one. The research recommends to apply the energy-efficient strategies in buildings including optimum housing density and to consider this in the relevant building regulations.