Thermal Analysis of Energy Efficiency Performance and Indoor Comfort in a LEED-Certified Campus Building in the United Arab Emirates

Khushbu Mankani, Mutasim Nour () and Hassam Nasarullah Chaudhry ()
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Khushbu Mankani: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai P.O. Box 501745, United Arab Emirates
Mutasim Nour: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai P.O. Box 501745, United Arab Emirates
Hassam Nasarullah Chaudhry: School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai P.O. Box 501745, United Arab Emirates

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-35

Abstract: Enhancing the real-world performance of sustainably designed and certified green buildings remains a significant challenge, particularly in hot climates where efforts to improve thermal comfort often conflict with energy efficiency goals. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), even newly constructed facilities with green building certifications present opportunities for retrofitting and performance optimization. This study investigates the energy and thermal comfort performance of a LEED Gold-certified, mixed-use university campus in Dubai through a calibrated digital twin developed using IES thermal modelling software. The analysis evaluated existing sustainable design strategies alongside three retrofit energy conservation measures (ECMs): (1) improved building envelope U-values, (2) installation of additional daylight sensors, and (3) optimization of fan coil unit efficiency. Simulation results demonstrated that the three ECMs collectively achieved a total reduction of 15% in annual energy consumption. Thermal comfort was assessed using operative temperature distributions, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfaction (PPD) metrics. While fan coil optimization yielded the highest energy savings, it led to less favorable comfort outcomes. In contrast, enhancing envelope U-values maintained indoor conditions consistently within ASHRAE-recommended comfort zones. To further support energy reduction and progress toward Net Zero targets, the study also evaluated the integration of a 228.87 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which offset 8.09% of the campus’s annual energy demand. By applying data-driven thermal modelling to assess retrofit impacts on both energy performance and occupant comfort in a certified green building, this study addresses a critical gap in the literature and offers a replicable framework for advancing building performance in hot climate regions.

Keywords: thermal energy modelling; IES-VE energy modelling; building energy retrofitting; LEED building certification; thermal comfort assessment; renewable energy integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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