Impact of room configuration on energy use intensity in high-density pilgrim accommodations: a case study in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Authors

Mosaab Alaboud, Naif Sultan Alaboud

Published in

Scientific reports. Jul 08, 2026. Epub Jul 08, 2026.

Abstract

Saudi Arabia's arid climate, characterized by high cooling degree days, necessitates significant electricity consumption for air conditioning, which accounts for approximately 70% of the building electricity demand. This study investigated the thermal behavior and energy performance of two distinct room configurations (20 and 12 m², containing 5 and 3 beds, respectively) in a high-density pilgrim hostel in Makkah through physical measurements and building energy simulations. Dry bulb temperatures were continuously monitored in each room for approximately two weeks (March 28-April 11, 2026), and a dynamic thermal model was subsequently developed and calibrated against the empirical data to evaluate the structural thermal performance. The calibration exhibited a high correlation between the monitored and simulated results, validating the reliability of the model. Ultimately, the larger room configuration exhibited superior energy efficiency; specifically, the 20 m² room consumed approximately 7% less cooling energy per unit area than the 12 m² room (170 vs. 182 kWh/m², respectively). This study demonstrates that room configuration and structural boundaries mitigate cooling demands more significantly than occupant density effects, highlighting the priority of geometric optimization in retrofitting protocols.

PMID:
42420570
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Jul 2026.

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