REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT BY USING THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS IN PALESTENIAN BUILDING
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Date
2023-04-17
Authors
Rafif Hanaishy
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Abstract
Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions is a significant concern worldwide because of its connection to global warming and subsequent climate change. Buildings account for an average of 39% of emissions worldwide. Therefore, saving electricity through the use of insulating materials is a crucial step in decreasing electricity consumption and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
A thorough survey of all buildings in the West Bank of Palestine was carried out, using the Palestinian Census Report of the year 2017 as a base to determine the quantity and condition of buildings in the various governorates of the West Bank. Additionally, annual reports from the Palestinian Engineers Association were used to calculate the number of buildings for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition to the survey, the Palestinian Monetary Authority's Residential Real Estate in Palestine 2021 report was used to determine the rate of area per building, and calculate the energy consumption for each governorate separately, using data from the Palestinian Electricity Transmission Company for the same years of study. The average energy used for heating and air conditioning was calculated, and insulating materials were applied to the buildings to measure their ability to save energy and to evaluate the impact on carbon dioxide emissions based on the source of electricity used in Palestine. Also, the approximate cost of insulating materials and the period required to recover the cost by the savings in energy consumption were calculated using the prices of materials in the Palestinian local market.
The results indicate that utilizing insulating materials can significantly decrease CO2 emissions and decrease electricity consumption by 27.23%. The cost recovery period for retrofitted buildings is estimated to be between 4.34 to 7.2 years, and for new buildings, it is between 0.39 to 1.09 years. These estimates may vary depending on the location and the average temperature of the region.
The study recommends promoting the widespread use of insulating materials in all new construction projects and providing incentives for retrofitting already-existing structures. These initiatives will not only increase energy efficiency but also support worldwide efforts to reduce emissions and achieve sustainable development goals.
Keywords: Carbon Footprint, CO2 Emissions, Thermal Insulation Material, CDD, HDD, U- Value, R- Value, Cost Benefit Analysis.