TOWARDS ENERGY EFFICIENT DWELLING UNITS: CASE STUDY OF A TYPICAL MODERN RURAL UNIT IN DELTA REGION IN EGYPT

Socio-economic transformations of the Egyptian peasant led to produce rural housing patterns that don'trespect the environment, which led to increase the demand for energy to achieve thermal comfort, andconsequently increase greenhouse gas emissions contributing to the climate change affecting the Deltaregion. This research aims to reach an optimal external envelope design using common constructionlayers to achieve energy reduction in a modern rural dwelling unit (MRDU) using energy efficiencysimulation tools. The study was applied in a typical (MRDU) oriented to West located in Delta region inEgypt. Design Builder software was used in simulation for energy consumption using EnrgyPlus engine.This research has tested the impact of external envelope design variables which consist of i. Opaque parts: changing construction layers and thickness for walls and ceiling ii. Transparent parts: window-to-wall ratio (WWR), glass types and using shading screen, on energy consumption of cooling loads in atypical summer month. The result of this study showed that the optimum wall configuration achieved asignificant reduction in both of cooling loads and CO2 emissions of 31% and optimum ceilingconfiguration reduced 21%. This shows that taking in consideration the use of the recommendedcommon wall construction layers can provide rural housing patterns that save energy in Delta region.Moreover, it can provide guide lines that can been applied to cooperative housin