A detailed energy retrofit study at the Indoor Sport Complex in Ras Al Khaimah demonstrates that conventional building upgrades can substantially reduce cooling demand in the United Arab Emirates, where institutional facilities spend outsized portions of their electricity budget on space conditioning.
Researchers applied five retrofit strategies to the 700 m² facility, which operated an unusually cold 18°C setpoint and featured poor thermal performance: uninsulated roof (U-value 3.469 W/m²·K), single-glazed windows, and inefficient lighting. Using Carrier HAP hourly simulation with site-specific weather data, the team evaluated each measure individually and in combination, then benchmarked results against LEED and UAE Estidama standards.
Individual measures achieved 7 to 53% load reductions. Reflective roof coating proved most cost-effective, with a simple payback period of approximately five months. LED lighting replacement paid back in roughly one year. When combined under the Estidama retrofit package, the facility's annual cooling load dropped from 589,143 kWh to 189,179 kWh thermal equivalent—a 67.9% reduction.
Economic performance was robust across a 20-year analysis horizon. The full envelope retrofit achieved an 8% internal rate of return and net present value near 130,000 AED (≈$35,000 USD) at an 8% discount rate. Annual carbon avoidance reached approximately 81 tons of CO₂ using the current grid emission factor.
Climate sensitivity modeling under CMIP6 projections suggests fractional load reductions remain stable through 2080, though accounting for future grid decarbonization reduces lifetime avoided emissions by 10 to 54% depending on the emissions pathway. Researchers caution that findings represent screening estimates pending metered validation against the uncalibrated baseline.
The study provides concrete evidence that hot-arid regions benefit most from low-cost measures—reflective coatings and lighting upgrades—while acknowledging that deeper envelope improvements deliver long-term returns, particularly if operational setpoints are rationalized to realistic comfort standards.
