Retrofit analysis of historical buildings to net-zero energy: Case study of the Ain village, Saudi Arabia

Renovating disused heritage buildings to serve new functions is an effective approach to preserve their architectural value. In this study, an analysis approach and associated results of converting an unused ancient village located in the south-western part of Saudi Arabia to a net-zero energy hotel complex are presented. Energy efficiency and on-site power generation measures are evaluated as retrofit measures for the Ain village based on a series of sensitivity analyses. Four levels of retrofits are proposed with and without the addition of thermal insulation to exterior walls and roofs. All the considered measures are considered non-intrusive and should not negatively affect the visual character of the historic village. The analysis results indicated that energy retrofit measures excluding thermal insulation can reduce the total Ain village energy consumption by 47% relative to the baseline case when the buildings are converted to hotel spaces. Deploying a fixed PV system with a capacity of 206 kW on-site can achieve net zero energy status for the retrofitted village. However, lower PV capacities would be needed to achieve net zero energy status for the Ain village when utilizing one-axis and two-axis tracking systems.