Traditional Omani houses (mud houses) are referred to be a good model of buildings that consume energy efficiently. Dr Haitham al Rasbi, General Manager of Kafa'a Energy Services Company, explained that “Clay and mud which are the primary material used in construction of these houses have high thermal mass and lower time lag and this helps regulate the indoor temperatures. This means, in winter the clay buildings can stay at a consistent temperature throughout the day making it cool during the day and warm at night. This is due the high time lag of the thick clay walls slowing the rate of heat transfer into and out the building.”
The design of windows in old Omani homes as well provides a distinctive model in maintaining an appropriate temperature inside the buildings. "In old Muscat, for example, windows were designed to allow breezes from the sea to cool the interior space. The windows were shaded and had gypsum lattice screens to allow the breezes to come in while minimizing solar heat gain," he noted.
Further, openings were often placed high in ceiling of buildings in order to allow cool air to enter into the building and allow for better natural air circulation. “This is similar in concept to windcatcher (or Malaqif) which is more commonly found in other GCC countries in the past."
The evaporative cooling system was another passive cooling method used in old Muscat. "In the window openings where air entering the room would pass over, porous water jars were placed. As a result, the water on the surface began to evaporate as the air passed over it, absorbing heat energy in the process. This cooled the air and produced a supply of cool water in the jar itself for drinking," he said.
It is important for all people to pay a great attention to energy efficiency because people’s daily practices, along with their choices while building their homes, can contribute significantly in supporting the efforts made by governments in enhancing energy efficiency.
Al Rasbi also sees that it is possible to employ techniques used in building mud houses and benefit from them in modern construction to maintain the coolness of the house naturally and reduce the electricity bill. "Building part of the house using clay and mud to benefit from its natural passive cooling system. This allows occupants to enjoy the cooler temperatures in the clay section during periods of moderate heat,” he said.
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