Enhancing Ecological Energy Efficiency in Housing Through PV Systems and Date Palm Fiber Insulation in Hot Arid Regions

Engineering notes

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

This study investigates an integrated ecological strategy to reduce electricity consumption in semi-collective housing located in the hot–arid climate of Biskra, Algeria, a region with high solar potential. The research combines photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation with passive thermal insulation using a locally sourced bio-based material derived from date palm fibers. The case study includes 104 dwellings within a residential complex of 350 units. Results show that monocrystalline PV panels (350 W) can produce approximately 479 kWh/panel/year. To meet the total annual electricity demand (504,712 kWh), around 1052 panels are required, corresponding to 1714 m2 (13.8%) of the available building envelope. This installation area demonstrates the significant photovoltaic potential of the residential complex under hot–arid climatic conditions. Thermal analysis indicates that integrating a 5 cm palm fiber insulation layer increases thermal resistance from 2.06 to 2.62 m2·°C/W and reduces heat flux from 2.18 to 1.72 W/m2. This improvement decreases conductive heat transfer through the envelope by approximately 21%, while numerical simulations indicate indoor temperature reductions of 4–8°C during summer conditions. These findings demonstrate that combining PV systems with bio-based insulation significantly enhances energy efficiency and thermal comfort in residential buildings under desert climatic conditions.

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