NEED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA (Published)
This paper x-rays the ingredients and integration of solar passive designs with solar architecture for increased energy efficiency in buildings to achieve maximum comfort, reduced green house gases, reduced energy cost and ensures available clean and sustainable energy in such homes. Energy efficiency in buildings is one of the fundamental steps towards reducing the agents/factors that could lead to global warming and climate change. It is a common knowledge that global warming is becoming more severe universally and poses very big risk to man. In Nigeria, most buildings hardly take solar architecture and energy efficiency into consideration due to ignorance, poverty, lack of awareness and/or improper policy on building regulations by Government. Use of mechanical devices to achieve thermal comfort in buildings is not only capital intensive but also generate greenhouse gases, air and noise pollution amongst others. This paper identifies the factors hampering on the use of energy efficient buildings and solar architecture in most buildings in Nigeria. It also proffers possible solutions and the way forward.
Keywords: Building Integrated Photovoltaics, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Solar Architecture, Solar Passive Building