Comparison of Vernacular and New Construction Materials and Methods in Sub-Mountainous Areas of Guilan in terms of Energy Savings

Energy saving is one of the significant issues in achieving sustainable development. This study compares the energy consumption of rural houses using local materials and new ones in Guilan province, in order to investigate the effects of using local materials and techniques on reducing the amount of energy consumption. The present research method is quantitative, in which observation and computer simulation are used. In this regard, the features of vernacular and new rural houses of sub-mountainous areas of Guilan are investigated. This case study focuses on two houses located in the foothills of Guilan. Design builder software is used to compare the amount of energy consumption of vernacular housing methods and the newer ones. The results of this study showed that the amount of energy required for heating is much higher than the energy needed for cooling in this region, so the main focus should be on reducing the amount of required energy for heating. Based on the results of the simulation, walls and roofs are more sensitive to heat exchange. Galipoosh roof have a reasonable function in terms of energy consumption, while Darvarchin wall wastes more energy than new materials.