Resource Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Residential Buildings: Insights from Local Archetypes and Mitigation Scenarios in Western Asia and Northern Africa

• Main Author: Akin, Sahin
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English

This thesis explores the intricate patterns of resource use and greenhouse gas emissions in residential buildings across Western Asia and Northern Africa, aiming to identify effective strategies for climate mitigation. The research applies archetype-based building modeling, life cycle assessment, dynamic stock modeling and scenario analysis, structured into three interconnected studies that form the core chapters of the thesis. These studies present critical regional findings that underscore the need for tailored interventions. Part I includes two chapters. The first chapter outlines the motivation, research questions, and scope of the study. It justifies the research's relevance and defines the objectives, setting the stage for the subsequent analytical work. In the second chapter, the thesis describes the theoretical and methodological framework, which integrates three key modeling aspects: Archetype modeling, lifecycle assessment, and dynamic stock modeling, to address the research questions. Part II consists of three research papers. The first paper examines energy and material flows in residential buildings within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The study, using a five-stage bottom-up archetype development methodology, analyses 153 multi-scale building archetypes. It finds significant variations between countries, with Kuwait exhibiting the highest per capita energy use and Saudi Arabia leading in natural resource use. Notably, cooling demands account for 75% of Bahrain’s total energy needs, highlighting the critical role of air conditioning in these arid climates. The second paper broadens the analysis to 19 countries across Western Asia and Northern Africa, focusing on emissions from the production of construction materials and the energy use by buildings. By integrating local archetypes with life-cycle assessment and building energy models, the study evaluates resource use and related greenhouse gas emissions throughout the building lifecycle. The study reveals that energy use contributes 64% of the region’s annual residential emissions, with Qatar’s energy use responsible for 90% of its national residential emissions. Oman shows the highest per capita emissions related to material use, driven by the prevalence of large villas. The study also compares national building stock assessments and residential emissions per individual across all 19 countries. The third paper projects future scenarios for resource efficiency in the region thro