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8 21 NOVEMBER 2021 W ith the aim of reducing the consumption of energy, there has been increased focus on the construction of low-energy buildings and implementation of energy-efficient techniques. This is because achieving more efficient buildings along with effi- cient systems for cooling and heating as well as installation of renewable energy sources could help to resolve the global energy shortage crisis. e world is currently facing various different crises including global warming, pollution, an increasing population, and the growing energy demand accompanied by the exhaustion of the world's natural resources. Substantive ongoing efforts have been made to solve these problems, including the invention of electric cars, the utilisation of new renewable sources of energy, and the design of low-energy buildings. e energy consumed by residential buildings needs to be reduced as this con- stitutes a significant proportion of the en- ergy profile of most countries. Scientists and researchers have therefore continued to develop new methods and materials to construct low/zero energy buildings. In order for a building's thermal perfor- mance to be improved, an appropriate envelope design is required. is is deter- mined by several factors, including geo- graphical location, climate type, and build- ing materials. It is also contingent on the building envelope's general performance. is means that its various components, such as the windows, openings, roof, and walls, need to function as a synergistic whole. Consequently, any alterations to the parameters of one or several of these elements will impact the efficiency of the others and, correspondingly, the overall performance of the building. erefore, to substantially enhance thermal performance, the efficiency of the different parameters of these ele- ments needs to be optimised. It is important to differentiate adapta- tion solutions according to differences in the extremes and amplitudes of air tem- peratures, air humidity ratios, amounts of solar radiation and sun paths. Buildings intended for mild and warm climate regions are designed on the basis of either pragmatic contemporary or in- tuitive traditional principles. Current guidelines for building design that are both climate-sensitive and en- ergy-saving encompass the following el- ement: (i) Building form and orientation, build- ing materials, and envelope construction (roof, façade, windows, walls, and floor) (ii) Site planning, including vegetation and landscape (iii) Control of climate features, includ- ing shading and daylight, solar access, and ventilation (iv) Specific optimisation of climate re- sources, including evaporative coolers, solar thermal, and wind catchers Experimental and statistical research on housing in warm regions has been per- formed for the purpose of evaluating the thermal comfort within modern and low- cost traditional buildings. eir aim was to ascertain whether it would be feasible to design houses of- fering effective thermal environments at a reasonable cost by ensuring effective thermal insulation of the outer envelope (including the roof ). e use of such insulation implies that a building's shape is no longer a critical factor. It also makes sense to combine effective night ventilation with high in- terior thermal storage. According to the findings, it is suggested that firstly, south-facing windows occupying 15% of the floor area are effective if combined with good insulation. Second, movable shading devices are more effective than fixed shading devices. ird, it is vital to provide summer night ventilation and this is most effective when combined with high thermal storage. Another study suggests that a low- er-cost, more effective solution is to min- imise building infiltration. e research- ers conducted analysis to compare the efficiency of insulation infiltration rate techniques implemented in such houses in different climate zones. For the pur- pose of testing the efficiency of different infiltration rate and insulation scenarios (roof, wall, and roof and wall combined), they developed a simulation that rep- resented the common configuration of buildings. e results indicated that in distinct climates, minimising the infiltration rate reduces energy demand better than the installation of 12.5 cm roof or wall insu- lation, while reducing infiltration by half (0.75 air changes per hour (ACH)) is as ef- fective in lowering the demand for energy as 10 or 12.5 cm wall or roof insulation. Another study examined whether the passive house concept could be extend- ed to southwest Europe. e findings showed that, with a few exceptions, the appropriate cooling energy demand was below 2 kWh/m2 while the typical heat- ing energy demand ranged between 10 and 15 kWh/m2. ese gave rise to the following gener- al guidelines: double low-e glazing, good movable exterior shading with prefera- bly a south orientation, and robust ther- mal protection with approximately 10 to 20 cm of thermal insulation (lower than for mid-Europe). A compact shape also appeared to be advantageous in both hot and cold sea- sons. To avoid excessive insulation or provide active cooling and dehumidifica- tion, it is important to install an exhaust air ventilation system in conjunction with excellent tightness. To reduce cooling, night ventilation is as effective as good insulation. ermal mass has less importance but is also beneficial. In the hottest climates, The use of insulation in design