Evaluation of Housing Projects Based on Zero Energy Building Indicators (Mehr Pardisan Housing, Qom City)

Introduction: Urbanization is widely recognized as one of the most prominent phenomena of the contemporary era, to the extent that the present age is often referred to as the era of urbanization. According to United Nations projections, by 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population will reside in urban areas. The rapid growth of cities has generated major developmental challenges in many countries around the world. Among these challenges, various forms of environmental pollution in urban areas are particularly significant. In this context, it can be argued that the root cause of many urban environmental problems is excessive energy consumption, especially the reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Two major crises currently threaten the future of humanity: the depletion of fossil fuel resources and the environmental degradation caused by the indiscriminate use of these fuels. Buildings account for approximately 40% of primary energy consumption, 70% of electricity consumption, and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The publication of such statistics has encouraged governments, particularly in developed countries, to adopt innovative approaches in the construction sector, among which zero-energy and zero-carbon buildings have emerged as important solutions. In Iran, energy consumption, particularly in the building sector, also presents significant and noteworthy challenges.
Methodology: This research was conducted using a descriptive–analytical approach based on both library and field research methods. To achieve the research objectives, the study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, which involved a review of the theoretical literature, an effort was made to compile the latest scientific findings, theoretical foundations, indicators, and criteria relevant to the research. In the second stage, field data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire and subsequently analyzed using SPSS software. 
To develop the questionnaire items, eight indicators were considered: reduction of heat exchange, thermal performance of windows, green roofs, carbon dioxide emissions, wind energy utilization, water energy utilization, solar energy utilization, and energy consumption. Following the collection of citizens’ opinions regarding these indicators, the data were analyzed in SPSS using a one-sample t-test to assess the current status of the indicators in the study area and an ANOVA test to compare neighborhoods in terms of the selected indicators and variables. In addition, neighborhoods were ranked according to zero-carbon housing indicators using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).
Results: The results of the ANOVA analysis, conducted to compare neighborhoods in terms of zero-carbon housing indicators, indicate that Neighborhood 1 achieved the most favorable conditions among the studied neighborhoods. Comparisons with the remaining neighborhoods revealed consistently lower performance levels, suggesting that Neighborhood 1 demonstrates the highest degree of compatibility with zero-carbon housing indicators. In contrast, Shahrek Neighborhood exhibited the least favorable performance across the evaluated indicators. The comparative results show that this neighborhood performed significantly worse than the other neighborhoods with respect to the eight selected indicators and therefore represents the weakest area in terms of compatibility with zero-carbon housing criteria.
Discussion: The analysis of the research data was conducted in three stages. The first stage involved a descriptive analysis of respondents’ characteristics, while the second focused on a descriptive examination of their responses. In the third stage, inferential statistical analyses were performed. Initially, a one-sample t-test was employed to evaluate the status of the selected indicators. Based on the findings, residential buildings in the Pardisan area of Qom demonstrated relatively favorable conditions in terms of wall thermal capacity, energy consumption, and solar energy utilization. However, with regard to the remaining indicators examined in this study, the buildings did not achieve acceptable levels of compliance with zero-carbon housing standards.
Conclusion: This study was conducted to evaluate the condition of residential buildings and housing units in District 8 of Qom City in terms of their compatibility with zero-carbon housing indicators and criteria. Due to the limited availability of objective data, field data were collected through a questionnaire survey.  A one-sample t-test was used to assess the degree of compliance of residential buildings with zero-carbon housing standards. The findings indicated that wall thermal capacity (2.8), energy consumption (9.7), and solar energy utilization (4.9) demonstrated relatively favorable conditions compared with the other indicators examined. Furthermore, the results of the ANOVA analysis comparing neighborhoods in terms of compatibility with zero-carbon housing indicators confirmed the favorable condition of Neighborhood 1 and the unfavorable condition of Shahrek Neighborhood relative to the other twelve neighborhoods within the study area. These findings highlight significant spatial disparities in the implementation of zero-carbon housing principles across the neighborhoods of District 8 of Qom.