Design Methodology Development for High-Energy-Efficiency Buildings in Algerian Sahara Climatic Context

In Algeria, the rapid increase in population and urbanization, evolving comfort needs, subsidized electricity prices, and climate change has significantly contributed to higher energy consumption for heating and cooling as well as greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in southern regions characterized by hot and arid climates. Most recent constructions in Algeria are highly energy-intensive, unlike traditional Saharan architecture, which is far more environmentally friendly. This paper presents eco-friendly and cost-effective design methods and solutions inspired by Saharan architecture to guide architects and project owners during the design phase of buildings in hot climate regions. A numerical simulation was performed using EnergyPlus 9.2 to compare the energy consumption of a semi-collective residential building in Béni Abbès with four design alternatives inspired by vernacular architecture, “O”, “L”, “U”, and rectangular configurations. The findings showed that the O-shape configuration achieved the highest cooling energy savings (38.55% on the ground floor, 27.68% on the first floor), followed by the L-shape (31% and 32%), U-shape (28% and 29%), and rectangular shape (26% and 25%), highlighting the effectiveness of form optimization in enhancing energy efficiency. The results obtained demonstrate the energy efficiency of the four variants compared with the initial cases, with a reduction in cooling needs while using the same materials. This reduction could reach up to 39% during the hot season. The pay-back period for the investment was estimated at approximately six years for the city of Béni Abbès and around five years for the city of Adrar. By incorporating full insulation into all four variants, a maximum reduction in air conditioning consumption of approximately 53% was observed for the “O” variant in Béni Abbès compared with the initial case without insulation. In Adrar, this reduction reached around 48% for the same variant. Passive design elements, such as shape optimization, compact urban fabric, patio integration, and window shading, offer moderate energy savings with a shorter payback period, whereas complete insulation achieves higher energy savings but requires a longer time to offset the investment costs.