Energy plus concept application on Stadia: Simulation based research on International Olympic stadium Challenges in Egypt

Authors

  • Dr. Ahmed Ehab Moharam Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8400-0771
  • Prof. Yasser Farghaly Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt Author
  • Assoc. Prof. Amr Atef Elhamy Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70917/fce-2026-013

Keywords:

Energy plus, Sustainable architecture, Energy management, Renewable energy, TRNSYS simulation

Abstract

Large-scale sports infrastructure represents one of the most energy-intensive building typologies, posing significant challenges to national climate strategies especially the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the integration of renewable energy systems within the built environment. This research proposes a decision-support framework to transition sports stadia from high-demand consumers to Net Plus-Energy (NPE) hubs within decentralized Energy Communities, supplying the main grid with excess energy within the surrounding community. Using TRNSYS simulation software, the study evaluates the renewable energy potential of the International Olympic Stadium in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. The methodology integrates environmental data analysis with smart storage management to develop various energy autonomy scenarios. Results indicate that the optimized configuration not only meets the stadium’s total annual demand but generates a significant surplus represent 46% excess energy of the stadium renewable sources generation, validating the feasibility of the stadium as a primary energy node. This study provides a quantitative framework for evaluating energy autonomy in mega-scale buildings and offers strategic recommendations for the Egyptian Building Code to enhance renewable technology integration and opens up for a new section within the Code regarding new building types, directly supporting Egypt Vision 2030 and global energy transition goals.

Author Biographies

  • Dr. Ahmed Ehab Moharam, Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt

    PMO Manager - Assistant lecturer

  • Prof. Yasser Farghaly, Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt

    Professor

  • Assoc. Prof. Amr Atef Elhamy, Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design Department, College of Engineering &Technology Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt

    Associate professor

References

Yehia, M., Elhamy, A. A., & Moharam, A. E. (2024). Repurposing mega-events stadia: Sustainable design strategies worldwide and challenges in Egypt. International Journal of Design Management & Professional Practice, 18(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.18848/2325-162X/CGP/v18i01/1-30

Artuso, M., Tiepolo, M., & Hasan, E. (2020). The new administrative capital of Egypt (Wedian City). Politecnico di Torino.

Attia, S. (2018). Net zero energy building performance indicators and thresholds. In Building and Environment (pp. 53–85). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812461-1.00003-4

Global Wind Atlas. (2026). Global Wind Atlas. https://globalwindatlas.info/en/

Ali, F., & Prime, J. (2023). Renewable energy markets. IRENA.

Reiche, D. (2020). Renewable energy policies in the Gulf countries: A case study of the carbon-neutral "Masdar City" in Abu Dhabi. Energy Policy, 38(1), 378–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.09.049

Ghani, M. (2023). Assessing the new administrative capital of Egypt as a smart, sustainable city (pp. 1–19). Ain Shams University.

Hussein, A. H. (2022). The national network of solar collectors integrated in the development and coverage of sports buildings: Case study Cairo Stadium General Authority. International Design Journal, 12(2), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.21608/idj.2022.223594

Zhang, J., & Azari, R. (2023). A review of potential electrochemical applications in buildings for energy capture and storage. Emerging Technologies in Photovoltaic Materials and Devices, 14(12), 2203. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14122203

Figaj, R., & Żołądek, M. (2020). Dynamic simulation and energy economic analysis of a household hybrid ground-solar-wind system using TRNSYS software. Energies, 13(14), 3523. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13143523

PVGIS. (2026). Photovoltaic Geographical Information System. https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/

Barrena, F. (2024). Experimental performance evaluation of self-consumption photovoltaic system with energy storage using TRNSYS. Journal of Energy Storage, 92, 112147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2024.112147

Khalil, A. (2010). Roadmap for renewable energy research and development in Egypt. Journal of Advanced Research, 1(1), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2010.02.003

Dawg, B. (2021). Mercedes-Benz Stadium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Stadium

Haddad, M., Javani, N., & Rezaie, B. (2025). Energy storage management in a near zero energy building using Li-ion, lead-acid, flywheel and photovoltaic systems with TRNSYS simulation. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 196, 106–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.01.010

Villa-Arrieta, M., & Sumper, A. (2018). A model for an economic evaluation of energy systems using TRNSYS. Applied Energy, 215, 765–777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.045

Tim, R. (2026). 1 MW wind turbine price cost. https://latestcost.com/1-mw-wind-turbine-price-cost

Udoh, P. (2025). Egypt to increase electricity tariff rate in January 2026. Energy in Africa. https://energyinafrica.com/news/egypt-to-increase-electricity-tariff-rate-in-january-2026-electricity-minister

Mile, B. (2026). Solar panels collection. https://thesolarstore.com/collections/500-watt-solar-panels

Al Ahram. (2025). News article. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/558698.aspx

Catsaros, O. (2025). Lithium-ion battery pack prices fall. BloombergNEF. https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-transport/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-fall-to-108-per-kilowatt-hour-despite-rising-metal-prices-bloombergnef

Downloads

Published

2026-05-27 — Updated on 2026-10-21

Versions

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Energy plus concept application on Stadia: Simulation based research on International Olympic stadium Challenges in Egypt. (2026). Future Cities and Environment, 12, 16. https://doi.org/10.70917/fce-2026-013 (Original work published 2026)