Energy Saving in buildings in Bahrain:Suitability of Concrete blocks

Abstract

The thermal transmission through of walls and roof in the residential houses more than half of the total peak cooling load. Insulating a building causes a significant reduction in the air-conditioning equipment's capacity in energy consumption, it is possible to save energy by using insulation in the walls and roofs, the type of masonry building materials used for the walls affect heat loss or gain. The objective of this study is to identify the energy saving potentials of different types of blocks used in buildings in Bahrain. The results show that the lightweight concrete blocks with polystyrene insulation have the lowest thermal transmittance U-value and it's the best block available in Bahrain for nonbearing wall structures. The annual savings in energy consumption of buildings constructed using this block is about 30% less compared to the hollow concrete blocks.