Simulation-based assessment of solar-integrated systems for climate-resilient residential buildings in semi-arid
Reza Yeganeh Khaksar1, Erfan Saket2, Aamir Mahmood3
1Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Marine and Arctic Technology, Research Group on Safe and Efficient Marine and Ship Systems, Kotka Maritime Research Centre, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
Abstract:
This study presents a climate-responsive framework for integrating solar energy into the cooling and heating systems of residential buildings in Mashhad, Iran-a city with an average solar irradiation of 5-6 kWh/m² per day. We modeled the Nafis 3 residential complex in two energy configurations, Non-Solar (conventional systems) and Solar (photovoltaic-integrated), across four seasonal profiles and four climate scenarios: baseline, + 1 °C, + 2 °C, and + 3 °C temperature increases. The study evaluates system performance across sustainability, environmental, economic, and reliability indicators, with a focus on fluctuations in cooling and heating demand. The results indicate that, compared to the Non-Solar model, the solar-integrated configuration reduces summer energy costs by approximately 20% (e.g. from about $7,500 to $6,000 per season), carbon emissions by 25%, and climate-induced economic losses by up to $30,000 annually under the + 3 °C scenario. However, cooling performance during peak summer hours revealed a 5-10% decrease in Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) and a drop in system reliability due to solar intermittency. This study presents a practical, simulation-based approach to support the integration of solar energy in cooling and heating strategies for climate-resilient residential infrastructure in semi-arid urban regions.
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