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5 - Energy Efficiency and Carbon Neutrality Potentials for the Building Sector in the GCC Region

from Part III - Infrastructure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

By
Moncef Krarti
Edited by
Wael A. Samad ,
Ahmed Badran  and
Elie Azar
Wael A. Samad
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai
Ahmed Badran
Affiliation:
University of Qatar
Elie Azar
Affiliation:
Carleton University
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Summary

The chapter overviews the current energy demand trends in the building sector for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and countries. Specifically, the historical trends of the energy efficiency performance of buildings are discussed. The increasing air-conditioning needs due to the hard climate in the GCC region are highlighted, including the impacts of various space cooling technologies and operation strategies on the energy consumption of buildings in the GCC region. In addition, the chapter discusses the main challenges for improving energy performance and achieving carbon neutrality for the built environment in the GCC countries. Finally, the chapter evaluates potential benefits for large-scale energy efficiency programmes specific to new and existing building stocks within the GCC region. The benefits encompass both cost effectiveness as well as energy productivity metrics accounting for the social, economic, and environmental impacts of various large-scale policy programmes with the aim to improve the energy efficiency and carbon neutrality of building stocks.

Keywords

building sectorcarbon neutralityenergy consumptionenergy demand trendsenergy efficiencyenergy efficiency programmesGulf Cooperation Council (GCC)space cooling technologies
Type
Chapter
Information
Carbon Neutrality in the Gulf
Between Well-intentioned Pledges and the Harsh Reality
 , pp. 85 - 116
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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