Buildings, by virtue of the energy they consume, have the biggest impact on the natural environment, and the price, availability and by-products of energy create societal and economic challenges in areas such as health and fuel poverty. Consequently, the key architectural solution to these challenges is to create buildings that are just as energy-efficient as possible. This message is especially important for parts of the world, such as countries of the Middle East, which have previously not embraced sustainable, low energy building standards. This paper describes an initiative to demonstrate the viability of such an energy standard (Passivhaus) in the Middle East. The Passivhaus standard was initially developed in Germany in 1990, with the main aims of reducing energy consumption and maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature all year round. The success of Passivhaus has stretched beyond Germany, although only around 100 Passivhaus projects have been realised outside of Europe. Qatar, a country in the Arabian Peninsula, launched its first Passivhaus Project in 2013. The estimated energy performance and comfort levels obtained through the IES dynamic simulation tool indicated that the building would successfully operate under the hot and arid climate of Qatar, and in accordance with the Passivhaus standards. To validate results obtained through modelling, the Qatar Passivhaus has undergone monitoring since its completion. This paper presents the initial findings of the Passivhaus project in Qatar, exploring the actual energy consumption and comfort levels achieved to date. Comparison between the modelled and monitored data have been made, revealing the actual performance of this Passivhaus standard dwelling in a hot and arid climate.
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