Abstract
Mongolia is experiencing unprecedented urbanization along with recent economic growth. Ulaanbaatar is known to be the coldest capital in the world and heating demand is very high during the long winter season. Due to the increase of coal burning to provide heat, there is an urgent need to improve housing and to reduce energy use and air pollution. Currently, there is a revitalization of the Ger area of Mongolia and this presents a good opportunity to redevelop the region into an ecologically designed district with sustainable housing. Such a redesign will result in energy saving and air pollution reduction. With this goal in mind, a pilot project called Create Accord Living Environment (CALE), was developed to demonstrate living conditions with a new house design that is cost effective for Mongolia. This paper presents the house performance using an energy simulation and the results are correlated with measurement data taken during the wintertime. The average energy use intensity (EUI) for 5 CALE houses was found to be 112 kWh/m(2)/yr. This is a 71% energy savings compared to a typical detached house with a modern and efficient house design. If it is possible to redevelop 1000 houses in the Ger area, an estimated 6.5 kton/yr in carbon emission can be saved. In addition, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the impact of different construction materials, craftsmanship quality, and occupants' behavior on the house's energy efficiency. The proposed housing structures, which provide a comfortable living space with significantly reduced energy utilization, serves as a potential model for development both within Mongolia as well as for other similar climates.