Assessment of the Methods of Electrical Energy Rationalization in Kuwaiti Mosques using Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) PDF

Keywords

Cooling load, Conditioning system, Programmable thermostat, Lighting systems, Infusion rate.

Abstract

The energy crisis, especially electricity consumption, is a crisis that plagues the world in general and Kuwait in particular. The Ministry of Electricity and Water in Kuwait (2009) said that the high temperature in the summer months, sometimes reach to 50 degrees Celsius in the shade, leads to increase demand in the air-conditioning loads. The study aims to assess the methods of electrical energy rationalization in Kuwaiti mosques using the simulation software (HAP). Since the mosques are located in separate areas of Kuwait and operate simultaneously, one of the mosques was selected as an example to find the best way to conserve energy. The results showed that, there are several possible ways to reduce the air-conditioning loads. Replacement incandescent bulbs with the energy-saving bulbs, installing programmable thermostat technology and control the infusion rate, lead to energy savings up to 32%, 2.9% and 11.4% respectively. The study also demonstrated the impact of other ways in reducing the rate of consumption, as: area of glass (1.7%), direction of the building (2%), the heat transfer coefficient of the building and the windows (11.4%) and outside color of the building (4.2%). Moreover, the wall color is more influential than roof color and the selection of insulation material and thickness is very important as it reduces cooling load up to 35%. All of these factors may help in lowering the rates of energy consumption in mosques and hence contribute in the reduction of greenhouse gases and pollutants.