RafriBAT: A project to introduce energy efficiency in buildings in Marrakech area by means of passive and low exergy air-conditioning systems

RafriBAT is a project funded by the Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology for the period 2012-2015. It aims to study the use of passive and hybrid systems in buildings for natural air refreshment and heating. The project also focuses on the building envelope in order to point out the synergy between an adapted envelope and the use of the passive/hybrid systems for cooling/heating. Specifically, some existing buildings with passive and hybrid systems for cooling/heating will be monitored and modeled. In the second part of the project, the passive and hybrid systems for cooling/heating will be tested individually in Outdoor Test-Cells. The dynamic response of these systems will be also calculated by means of TRNSYS software. The comparison of the monitoring results and the dynamic modeling will produce an efficient and well-validated simulation tool. This tool may be used for the design of energetically efficient buildings in an arid climate such as that of Marrakech. The final target, of this project is to accompany the elaboration of the building energy efficiency code in the frame of the national energy efficiency strategy.