Factors Leading to High Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia

In developing countries like Saudi Arabia, the experience of a rapid rate of urbanisation and ? infrastructure expansion, especially with respect to buildings is immense. The role of buildings is even more ? important as they account for around 80% of the total national electricity consumption. Based on the 2030 local ? energy consumption trends, forecasts indicate an increase in domestic energy consumption with a growth rate ? which could reach 4 to 5% annually. A significant portion of this energy consumption growth results from the ? inefficient use of energy, and absence of coordinated enforcement and stakeholder engagement.This paper ? reports on an exploratory public survey to elicit information on respondent's views on issues such as the ? awareness and applications of sustainable building. The aim of this article is to identify factors influencing the ? development of sustainable buildings and energy consumption in residential sector in Saudi Arabia. A ? structured questionnaire was designed and electronically distributed to collect information from respondents ? across Saudi Arabia, employing a random sampling technique (Snowball Technique). The findings have ? significant implications for policy makers and practitioners. The implementation of sustainable residential ? buildings code requires strong support from the public, government and the housing industry.