A large proportion of electricity in the UAE is consumed in meeting air conditioning cooling demands in buildings where, up to 80% of a buildings total electricity demand is for cooling. With projected climate changes in the UAE predicting an increase in annual mean temperature of 2.8⁰C and minimal reductions in relative humidity and global solar radiation by 2050, cooling energy demands are set to increase. This paper reports on a study of how the climatic drivers of cooling energy demand change under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario of climate change. A typical UAE office building is simulated under generated annual hourly weather datasets of 2020, 2050 and 2080. The results show an increase in cooling demand of 22.2% by 2050 and 40.0% by 2080. The comparative effect of climate changes on a number of heat gain sources and paths are examined and discussed to identify the most effective solutions for improving resilience.
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