Experimental Investigation and Development of a Predictive Thermal Framework for Low-Cost Insulating Systems in Sustainable Buildings in Dubai, UAE

Abstract

Rising temperatures and growing cooling demand pose a significant challenge for rapidly urbanizing hot-arid regions such as Dubai. While advanced insulation technologies can reduce cooling energy consumption, they are often expensive and inaccessible for small-scale applications. Research in the UAE has largely focused on expanded polystyrene (EPS) and on how changes in thermal conductivity affect cooling demand, without experiments comparing inexpensive alternatives. This study investigates the thermal performance of low-cost insulating materials, including aluminum foil, coir, Styrofoam, cotton, and layered composite systems, under controlled heating and cooling conditions. Rarely found in the published literature on these materials, a control experiment in which identical boxes are lined with various materials and exposed to the same heat source provides a rigorous, repeatable method for independently assessing each material's thermal performance. Quantification of thermal behavior was performed by analyzing the heating rate, cooling rate, cumulative thermal exposure (area under the temperature-time curve), insulation efficiency, a newly defined thermal resistance index (TRI), and an exponential predictive thermal model. Newton's law of heating has been instrumental in defining an exponential thermal-response model, helping to characterize and predict temperature evolution and to evaluate heat-transfer dynamics. This model enables quantitative analysis and comparison across various insulating materials, as well as forecasting thermal performance under sustained heat conditions. A layered coir-Styrofoam composite outperforms both materials individually, reducing thermal exposure by approximately 22% relative to the control. This mathematical framework offers a cost-effective methodology for evaluating sustainable insulation systems and optimizing passive cooling strategies suitable for hot-arid climates such as those in the UAE.