Low-energy design for future housing developments in Kazakhstan: a case study

There is a distinct lack of building design literature specific to the Central Asian region. This perhaps, could be one of the reasons for insignificant improvements in new building design and construction, even despite huge investment in the construction of new buildings in, for example, Astana, Kazakhstan. The absence of low-energy building design guidelines could lead to adverse internal conditions and skyrocketing energy bills. In the present context, low-energy buildings refer to buildings that are inherently low-energy consuming by careful passive design, by utilizing intelligent building technologies to automate building services, by minimizing wastage of energy, and by incorporating renewable technologies for its energy supply. This paper focuses on the low-energy design of buildings for harsh weather conditions that prevail in Astana, Kazakhstan. The main aspects of low-energy design are critically discussed. A case study for Dostar residential complex in Astana is presented. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is used to demonstrate the effect of important aspects of passive design, such as building orientation, configuration, and envelope on energy efficiency and wind comfort in Dostar residential complex in Astana. The results indicated that there is a considerable influence of low-energy building design on energy efficiency, wind comfort, and safety. Based on the findings of this study, it is suggested that a multiple buildings configuration (a box-shaped form in this case) rather than a single-standing building should be considered while designing future housing developments in Kazakhstan.