Harnessing Thermal Stress for Sustainable Zero-Energy Building Design in Iraq

The built environment in Iraq has been negatively affected by climate change, with high external temperatures and increased heat transfer into buildings creating greater dependence on mechanical and electrical systems for heating and cooling. While these systems are vital for ensuring thermal comfort and healthy indoor conditions, they also drive-up overall energy consumption—an issue of global concern that increases operational costs and places financial pressure on building occupants. This situation highlights a research gap: the widespread reliance on purely mechanical solutions in Iraq overlooks the potential of climate-responsive design strategies to reduce energy demand. By integrating such approaches and applying modern technologies to cover the remaining energy needs, it is possible to significantly cut energy consumption and ultimately achieve zero-energy buildings. In order to control indoor temperature in hot, dry conditions, this study suggests an integrated passive design approach that incorporates courtyard microclimate, thermal stress-driven airflow, and an earth-air heat exchanger system. The suggested method makes use of natural temperature gradients to produce indoor thermal comfort between 21 and 25°C, in contrast to traditional methods that mostly rely on mechanical devices. The paper addresses the limited application of climate-responsive design solutions in such contexts by presenting a low-energy, context-specific design strategy appropriate for areas like Iraq.