Session: 04-01 Research for Clean Energy Transition (Socio-Technical, Education and Policy)

Paper Number: 108145

108145 - Pathways to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Residential Air-Conditioning Systems in Saudi Arabia 

The residential sector in Saudi Arabia contributes more than half of the total national electricity consumption, with room air conditioners being among the most significant contributors. This work aims to estimate the current and future energy savings and CO2 emission reductions possible under three different scenarios: Business as Usual (BAU), Continuous Improvement Scenario (CIS), and Accelerated Improvement Scenario (AIS) up to 2030. BAU scenario presents the energy consumption and CO2 emissions assuming the current average Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 11.8 is maintained till 2030. CIS takes into account an improvement of 5% in EER every 5 years, and AIS considers an improvement of 10% in EER every two years. Additionally, the energy savings and CO2 emission reductions possible through varying penetration levels of newly introduced refrigerant (R32) have been estimated for all three scenarios. Although the baseline scenario is promising, the energy savings can be significantly increased to the tune of 38.5 TWh by 2030 under the AIS. Even the use of CIS provides energy savings of 9.5 TWh by 2030. Moreover, the AIS results in reducing CO2 emissions by 22.8 MtCO2, while the CIS reduces 5.6 MtCO2 from the atmosphere. The introduction of the new refrigerant (R32) leads to modest energy savings of 2.5 TWh in the best-case scenario and suggests that the policy focus can be limited to increasing the EER of residential AC systems. To the author's knowledge, this is the first study that provides detailed insight into various routes available for reducing the energy consumption of the residential AC sector in Saudi Arabia and is useful in guiding the next Minimum Energy Performance Standards for the Saudi market.

Presenting Author: Abdulaziz Alotaibi King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Presenting Author Biography: Abdulaziz M. Alotaibi is a senior mechanical engineering student at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). He is an undergraduate researcher who currently works in energy policy domains and additive manufacturing. He is a Mawhiba Alumni and a member of the SCE (Saudi Council of Engineers). After completing his undergraduate studies, he aims to pursue a master’s degree in thermo-fluid sciences and further enhance his knowledge in the field of thermal energy engineering.