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The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) is undoubtedly revolutionizing the automotive industry, and its impact on the car repair and service business is profound. While exciting opportunities emerge, the shift also presents significant challenges, potentially leading to the disappearance of certain jobs and parts. In this research, we explore the impact of electric cars on the future car repair and service landscape. By 2030, EVs will constitute 60% of global car sales, underscoring the significant shift towards electric mobility. This transition is expected to reduce maintenance costs by up to 40% compared to conventional vehicles due to the simpler design and fewer moving parts in EVs. Certain body parts, including radiators and exhaust systems specific to gasoline cars, will also become redundant as EVs become more prevalent in the market. However, amidst these disappearing parts, there are emerging opportunities in the automotive industry. The rise of EVs will necessitate new areas of expertise, such as battery diagnostics, charging infrastructure installation, and software updates, creating new job opportunities for trained technicians. Furthermore, there will be a growing focus on software and electronics as they play a bigger role in car functionality. This shift emphasizes the importance of upskilling existing technicians in these areas to capitalize on new avenues within the automotive sector, aligning with the evolving landscape of electric mobility.

Objectives To enhance the accuracy of forecasting future coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and trends by identifying and analyzing correlations between the daily case counts of different countries reported between January 2020 and January 2023, to uncover significant links in COVID-19 patterns between nations, allowing for real-time, precise predictions of disease spread based on observed trends in correlated countries. Methods Daily COVID-19 cases for each country were tracked between January 2020 and January 2023 to identify correlations between nations. Current case data were obtained from reliable sources, such as Johns Hopkins University and the World Health Organization. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the strength of connections. Results Strong correlations (r > 0.80) were revealed between the daily reported COVID-19 case counts of numerous countries across various continents. Specifically, 62 nations showed significant correlations with at least one correlated (connected) country per nation. These correlations indicate a similarity in COVID-19 trends over the past 3 or more years. Conclusion This study addresses the gap in country-specific correlations within COVID-19 forecasting methodologies. The proposed method offers essential real-time insights to aid effective government and organizational planning in response to the pandemic.

Amidst a global water crisis, Jordan is an example of extreme water scarcity. With one of the world’s lowest per capita freshwater availability, Jordan’s growing population and limited resources create a dangerous balance. This research paper investigates into the vital role of renewable energy in addressing Jordan’s water woes and proposes a sustainable path for the future. Through a comprehensive case study, integrating renewable energy and water desalination in arid regions represents a promising pathway for sustainable water management and environmental conservation. By harnessing abundant renewable resources, arid regions can address their pressing water needs, mitigate climate change, and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Overcoming economic barriers and optimizing technology will be crucial in fully unlocking the potential of this innovative approach for a water-secure and environmentally conscious future.

The Russian–Ukraine war has had and will continue to impact global energy and food security; this will increase the pressure on low-income communities due to rising food costs, as some food was used for energy (i.e. cooking oil). In addition to that, rising energy demand, fuel price increases, the need for energy security, climate change, and means of lowering greenhouse gas emissions are significant considerations in all ethical discussions, particularly when considering the human right to food; there is a tension between the usage of land and availability of water and the human need for fuel, such as biofuel. Although biofuels have the potential to alleviate energy difficulties, producing and consuming such fuels raises social, economic, technological, environmental, and ethical concerns due to ethical aspects such as Rights, Duty, Virtue, Utilitarianism, and Sustainability. Furthermore, all participants bear an ethical responsibility to ensure that biofuels are produced and used appropriately, taking into account citizens’ rights to nourishment, well-being, and employment, the environmental sustainability of such fuels, as well as their capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the equitable distribution of such fuels’ costs and benefits. Using human food to produce biofuels has raised several issues since it may jeopardize the human right to enough sustenance for healthy living. In contrast, current biofuel production and use do not meet environmental sustainability requirements.

The application of a fair tariff for electricity pricing is aimed at controlling demand and promoting sustainability by motivating homeowners to use household appliances as well as heating and cooling systems that offer increased energy efficiency. It is possible to structure the price levels such that customers (typically those who have increased demands for electricity) are encouraged to lower their overall demand. The reorganisation of electrical subsidies within the residential sector has considerable importance for the country’s economy as well as for more effective management of the consumption of electricity and the resulting effects on the environment, which lays the foundation for more sustainable development. In the current research, data from 260,000 regular customers paying standard electricity tariffs were gathered and the energy usage of in excess of 1,000 energy-subsidised District Electricity Distribution Company (IDECO) members of staff was recorded over a period of two years (2017 and 2018). A comparison was made between the two aforementioned groups to investigate the outcomes of energy subsidies on energy usage as well as consumption patterns within the residential sector. The results of the analysis indicated that on average, normal homeowners used approximately 297 kWh/month, whereas customers whose electricity was subsidised consumed approximately 615 kWh/month. In both winter and summer, there was an increase in the amount of energy consumed, particularly among those receiving subsidies, as the demand for heating and cooling was raised. The application of electricity tariffs (with no subsidisation) provides a means of controlling the demand profile that is particularly effective. The structure of tariffs can motivate customers (typically those electricity consumption levels are high) to lower their overall consumption in addition to peak demand (which has the consequence of limiting the strain on the grid and power stations) by requiring them to pay for electricity at maximum prices.

This research aimed to evaluate the thermal performance of rooftop PV as a shading element on uninsulated roof-related HVAC energy consumption of buildings in a moderate dry–warm climate zone. A transient-state 3D distributed thermal model was developed of the PV-added rooftop components. Photovoltaic (PV) solar rooftops as shading devices were constructed using Integrated Environmental Solution-Virtual Environment Software to predict the reduction and increase in heating and cooling loads connected with the roof floor each month. The impact of rooftop PV systems on a building’s roof-related energy burden was quantified about a low-rise residential building in a moderate dry–warm climate zone represented by the city of Amman in Jordan. The results indicated that PV roof structure reduced heat gain by 10.87% during the summer and increased heat loss by 3.8% during the winter. In the summer season, the electricity demand for indoor cooling declined, but the demand for indoor heating increased slightly. The investigation focused on a middle-income home in Jordan’s capital, Amman. The limitations imposed by building rooftops on the use of PV were also investigated in this research and the findings validate the importance of providing environmental authorities, the construction industry, and ordinary individuals with important guidelines on the use of renewable energy to heat and cool buildings. Consequently, this analysis enhances awareness of a building’s overall energy needs, which are crucial for the future design of sustainable buildings.

Installing photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roofs of homes may reduce dependence on the electrical grid and lead to net-zero energy production. Climate patterns and a building’s structural system can significantly affect how much energy the structure uses. This investigation is aimed to focus on the shading effect of solar panels on the uninsulated roof of a residential building to investigate the output of combining architectural buildings with renewable energy systems. The PV system was modelled as a shading device using building simulation software (Design Builder) to calculate the monthly reduction and increase in heating and cooling loads for the rooftop in a humid subtropical climate zone. The results showed that the cooling loads were decreased by 290 kWh/year (almost 5%) and heating by almost 30 kWh/year. The findings showed the importance of renewable energy in tackling climate change and reducing the housing energy requirements for sustainable development.

Integrating water, energy, and food (WEF) systems can generate synergies and help Eastern Mediterranean countries solve climate change-related concerns. The WEF nexus strategy provides a comprehensive and integrated approach to solving the issues faced by climate change and a roadmap toward sustainable water, energy, and food systems. The significance of understanding the WEF nexus in the context of climate change cannot be emphasized, and further study and implementation are required to reach its full potential. In this study, we investigated the available options for decision-makers to combat climate change; for example, renewable energy is seen as a critical component for assisting the water, energy, and food sectors in addressing the issues faced by climate change. Renewable energy may supply clean, dependable, and sustainable electricity for water treatment and distribution systems, agricultural and food processing enterprises, and energy-intensive businesses. In addition, for the region’s sustainable development, cooperation between Eastern Mediterranean countries in addressing the issues of climate change and the WEF nexus is crucial. Promoting cross-border commerce and establishing regional frameworks and initiatives can play a vital role in tackling these difficulties and assuring the region’s sustainable future.

Several Arab countries face numerous environmental problems in addition to climate change, desertification, and water crisis. Multiple issues related to water and energy need to be resolved. In this paper, we examine the most important topics to be studied, and the research conducted to elucidate the importance of the water problem in the Arab region, including the gap between increased demand and a lack of resources. Water problems include leakage, pollution, and depletion of water resources. We also focus on climate change and the role of young people, software, educational institutions, and training centers in achieving water security and sustainable development objectives. The paper also investigates the idea of water harvesting, the relationship between water, food security, and energy, the role of stakeholders, and good governance in solving the water crisis by understanding the problems and framing research within a multi-year work program with financial, legislative, and scientific support. Providing incentives and the necessary research structure to coordinate all sectors and organizations concerned with water is also essential.

There has been increased focus across the world on enhancing the efficiency of energy consumption in multiple sectors. The overall aim is to find solutions to eliminate problems caused by the expanding demand for energy while ensuring that natural resources are not depleted. This paper presents an optimisation of the parameters of the building envelope of a single-storey residential building in the semi-arid and warm Mediterranean climate zone of the city of Amman, Jordan. The objective was to achieve a reduction in cooling and heating loads while ensuring that the existing levels of thermal comfort can be sustained through the use of mechanical systems for cooling and heating. A typical Jordanian single-storey residential building with dimensions of 187 m2 was chosen to modify its design variables and examine their effect on the overall thermal performance. The process of optimisation was initiated by performing a simulation using DesignBuilder software, followed by a sensitivity analysis of 12 design variables to evaluate their importance for cooling and heating loads. An optimisation using the genetic algorithm was then implemented. The final results indicated that the total energy consumption could be reduced to 293.74 kWh/year (99.79 kWh/year in terms of the cooling and 193.95 kWh/year in terms of the heating), compared with 5225.97 kWh/year for the reference module (separated into 4075.41 kWh/year for the heating and 1150.56 kWh/year for the cooling).

The traditional energy sector in Palestine suffers from many problems, shortages, and high prices. As a result, alternative energy sources have become the ideal solution to save energy, reduce costs, and self-reliance, albeit in part, and one of the alternative energy sources is wind energy, despite the low wind speed in Palestine. However, it can be used to a large extent in many fields. Where electrical energy plays an important role in the life of the individual and society, and indeed in all aspects of life in the country. Without electric energy, the economy and industries cannot be developed, and therefore this prompts to search for alternative renewable energy sources than traditional energy sources. This study aims to solve the problem of electrical energy in Palestine, especially in the city of Hebron. This study was conducted in the city of Hebron because it contains suitable wind capabilities to build these turbines and to obtain the necessary energy through renewable energy sources available in Palestine due to the availability of the appropriate climate and weather. Two different types of turbines will be studied and the type most suitable for Palestine's weather and wind speed available, and which of these types will be the most efficient, will be studied. This research has been studied and implemented based on a SolidWorks program. Initially, a three-dimension design was made in SolidWorks for two types of wind turbines, namely: the horizontal axis wind turbine and the vertical axis wind turbine of the Savonius type. Simulations were performed on each of the above types with different wind speeds (0.5-4.5) m/s. After simulation, it was found that Savonius turbines have the greatest ability to generate power at low wind speeds commensurate with the wind speed in the city of Hebron.

This study examined the potential of the water-food-energy nexus in Jordan, as there are strong connections between these pillars that will help to ensure a sustainable future. The focus was on the dual relationship between the three sectors, namely the relationship between water and energy, between water and food, and between energy and food.Currently there are several processes arising from the problems associated with the three sectors that ought to be addressed to avoid negative consequences. Increased demand, shortage of supply, climate change, economic aspects, and population growth are among the numerous factors negatively affecting the water, energy, and food sectors that should be considered in order to achieve sustainability. Having studied the mutual relationship between the three sectors.This research will examine the potential solution of renewable energy technologies to address some of the trade-offs between water, energy and food, bringing substantial benefits in all three sectors. It was established that renewable energy appears to be an essential solution to enhance all the sectors combined. Jordan, for instance, receives abundant energy from the sun and wind. It was concluded that the exploitation of renewable energy is the essential solution needed to meet the challenges facing all three sectors, and thus promote the advancement of the country. It is possible to exploit the energy of the sun and wind in Jordan to produce the quantities of energy needed to desalinate sea water and irrigate the plants in order to provide the population with the food they need in order to live.

The negative consequences of toxic emissions from internal combustion engines, energy security, climate change, and energy costs have led to a growing demand for clean power sources in the automotive industry. The development of eco-friendly vehicle technologies, such as electric and hydrogen vehicles, has increased. This article investigates whether hydrogen vehicles will replace electric vehicles in the future. The results showed that fuel-cell cars are unlikely to compete with electric cars. This is due to the advancements in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, which are becoming more cost-effective and efficient. Additionally, the technical progress in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is expected to reduce the market share of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in passenger vehicles. However, significant investments have been made in hydrogen cars. Many ongoing investments seem to follow the sunk cost fallacy, where decision-makers continue to invest in an unprofitable project due to their already invested resources. Furthermore, even with megawatt charging, fuel-cell trucks cost more than battery-powered electric trucks. The use cases for fuel-cell electric trucks are also much more limited, as their running expenses are higher compared to electric cars. Hydrogen vehicles may be beneficial for heavy transport in remote areas. However, it remains to be seen if niche markets are large enough to support fuel-cell electric truck commercialization and economies of scale. In summary, we believe that hydrogen vehicles will not replace electric cars and trucks, at least before 2050.

Alternative energy sources -such as solar energy- is potentially needed, as the energy sector in Palestine is completely controlled by Israeli authorities. Solar energy has the potential to be a useful alternative in Palestine because it has almost 228 sunny days each year. Among the several solar energy techniques, the photovoltaic system has the potential to make a significant contribution to the development of a more sustainable energy system. The amount of irradiance that enters the solar cells has a significant impact on the photovoltaic panel's output. As a result, dust and dirt on the panel will reduce the system's effectiveness by reducing incoming solar radiation and raising the panel's temperature. So, cleaning the Photovoltaic module on a regular basis will result in decreased energy loss and more economic benefits. The primary goal of this study is to detect the impact of dust on Photovoltaic efficiency. A 170.28 kW solar system in Nablus city, Palestine that is connected to an automated cleaning system was tested between January and July of 2021. The panels in the system were left un-cleaned for different time spans (ex. Weekly, Monthly, 2 Months, And 7 Months). The impact of dust accumulation on Photovoltaic performance was then investigated by comparing the power production between the un-cleaned panels to the automated cleaned panels. However, the cleaning method employed in this study was an automated cleaning system that is programmed to clean the plant every two days. Moreover, all the Photovoltaic panels employed in this study were of the Trina solar 330 types, which had similar attributes and performance. According to the study, the worst-case scenario was leaving the Photovoltaic panels un-cleaned for seven months in a row, which resulted in a power drop of 9.99 % and an average power reduction of 2.93 % per month. As a result of climate change, energy, water, and food security are major concerns in Palestine.

In order to get on the path of sustainable development as a society as a whole, a great transformation is required. Universities are embedded in society and networked with it through various forms of interaction; they influence social discourses and often have a decisive influence on them. As educational institutions, universities have to take a critical stance on the state of our earth and actively fulfill their responsibility. The German Jordanian University (GJU), like any other university, produces solid and hazardous waste. A waste audit was done to identify the waste streams and the opportunities for reinforcing waste reduction, recycling, and composition while enhancing the comprehensive sustainability of a waste management program. The results showed that an average of 2,500 kg of waste was produced per week. The composition of the waste generated at the GJU main campus was 1,051 kg (41%) for paper and cardboard, 875 kg (35%) for plastics, 325 kg (13%) for biowaste, and 275 kg for other wastes. The performed UI GreenMetric showed high potential in the programs to reduce the use of paper and plastic on campus and the treatment of toxic waste with a score of 75 points. The results of this study indicate high potential in the recycling program for university waste, organic and inorganic waste treatment, and sewage disposal. The results for these indicators were moderate, a score of 75 points out of 300 points. Thus, more focus and actions should be placed on these indicators to enhance a sustainable green campus.

Many developing countries subsidise energy (petroleum fuel products, natural gas and electricity), which was reflected in an extra pressure on the national budget, and this will support inefficient use of energy. In this study, the effects of electrical energy subsidies on the total electrical energy consumption in the residential sector were examined. Data on more than 260,000 Jordanian ordinary customers were collected, and the energy consumption of more than 1000 energy-extra subsidised Irbid District Electricity Distribution Company (IDECO) staff members was recorded over a 2-year period (2017 and 2018). These two groups were compared to examine the consequences of subsidising energy on the energy consumption and the consumption behaviour in the residential sector. The analysis revealed that ordinary householders consume around 296 kWh/month, while for the subsidised group 615 kWh/month was noted. Energy consumption increased during the summer and winter months, especially in the subsidised group, due to the heavy reliance on mechanical systems for cooling and heating. Electricity full price (without any subsidies) can be a very effective way to control the demand profile. It can be structured to encourage customers (generally those that have significant electricity demand) to reduce their total usage as well as peak demand (thus reducing the pressure on the grid and the power plant) by charging them full electricity prices.

The primary goal of this research was to minimise the energy consumed by heating and cooling loads in residential buildings in a sub-humid Mediterranean climate zone. This was achieved by optimising the design variables of various building envelopes using DesignBuilder software to compare the thermal performance of a baseline building model located in Ajlun (city in northern Jordan mountainous area) with the performance of other buildings with various design configurations. A sensitivity analysis (SA) was then conducted for twelve design variables to evaluate their influence on both cooling and heating loads using a regression method. The variables were divided into two groups according to their importance: a high importance design variables (window to wall ratio, local shading type, round floor construction, natural ventilation rate, infiltration rate (ac/h), glazing type, flat roof construction) and a low importance design variables (partition construction, site orientation, external wall construction, window blind type, window shading control schedule).The final results show significant reduction in the total energy consumption.

Green hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important energy supply source worldwide. The great potential for the use of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source makes it an attractive energy carrier. In this paper, we discuss the potential of producing green hydrogen in Jordan. Aqaba, located in the south of Jordan, was selected to study the potential for producing green hydrogen, due to its proximity to a water source (i.e., the Red Sea). Two models were created for two electrolyzer types using MATLAB. The investigated electrolyzers were alkaline water (ALK) and polymeric electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. The first model was used to compare the required capacity of the PV solar system using ALK and PEM from 2022 to 2025, depending on the learning curves for the development of these technologies. In addition, this model was used to predict the total investment costs for the investigated electrolyzers. Then, a techno-economic model was constructed to predict the feasibility of using this technology, by comparing the use of a PV system and grid electricity as sources for the production of hydrogen. The net present value (NPV) and levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) were used as indicators for both models. The environmental effect, according to the reduction of CO2 emissions, was also taken into account. The annual production of hydrogen was 70.956 million kg. The rate of hydrogen production was 19.3 kg/s and 1783 kg/s for ALK and PEM electrolyzers, respectively. The LCOH was 4.42 USD/kg and 3.13 USD/kg when applying electricity from the grid and generated by the PV system, respectively. The payback period to cover the capital cost of the PV system was 11 years of the project life, with a NPV of USD 441.95 million. Moreover, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 3042 tons/year by using the PV as a generation source, instead of fossil fuels to generate electricity. The annual savings, with respect to the reduction of CO2 emissions, was USD 120,135.

The journal retracts the article “A Critical Review on Recycling Composite Waste Using Pyrolysis for Sustainable Development” Energies 2021, 14(18), 5748 [...]

This research contributes to making residential buildings more efficient in the city of Azraq, Jordan, which is located in a warm climate zone in the Saharan Mediterranean region (classified as a hot desert climate according to the Köppen climate classification). It involved the optimisation of several envelope parameters with the aim of reducing the usage of energy within a normal structure occupying an area of 186 m2 without the occupants’ involvement in saving energy in the building to solely measure the building envelope’s thermal performance. The DesignBuilder software was used for the sensitivity analysis using 12 design variables, which enabled their significance for both cooling and heating loads. The selected variables were separated into two categories based on their level of significance: a group with higher importance (window to wall %, local type of shading, ground floor building, natural rate of ventilation, rate of infiltration, kind of glazing, and flat roof structure) as well as a group with lower importance (partition construction, site position, construction of outside walls, kind of window blinds, and window shade control timetable); these variables will save a significant amount of heating and cooling energy.

The performance of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels is dependent on certain factors, such as dust effects. Even though Palestine’s energy issues are well-known, no research has been undertaken on the soiling effect on solar energy generation in Palestine’s climatic circumstances. The study’s findings can aid Palestine’s efforts to achieve long-term energy sustainability and solar energy use. Outdoor research was conducted in Tulkarm, Palestine, to explore the impact of dust on PV systems. The current study examined the impact of dust accumulation based on the Mediterranean climate. To accomplish this, a one-year experiment was conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2021. An 85-kW PV power plant at Tulkarm was utilized in the study. Knowing the efficiency reduction over time will aid in minimizing cleaning expenses by selecting the most appropriate cleaning interval. The results concluded that in January, February, November, and December, there will be a two-month cleaning period, monthly cleaning in March and October, as well as two weeks of cleaning in April and May. It may also be concluded that the plant should be cleaned weekly throughout the months of June, July, August, and September. This recommendation is necessary to maintain the PV panel plant operating at peak efficiency.

Energy supply, the increasing demands for energy, climate change, and the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be considered in designing buildings. In order to design energy-efficient buildings, there should be accurate information about the thermal performance of the building. The thermal simulation readings should be precise. Its precision will also have a definite indication of the operational energy costs enabling the likelihood of conserving more energy used in building operations and reducing the greenhouse effect that is a result of emissions of greenhouse gases. Energy-efficient buildings are vital as they reduce the consumption of energy in and allow sustainable development. Erecting such buildings will require correct and realistic prediction of the buildings performance when subjected to a wide variety of harsh weather conditions in order to have a view of the impact of all the physical elements that influence the thermal performance. The behavior of the occupants also influences the thermal performance of a building. To achieve this, energy assessment instruments are used to accurately forecast the buildings thermal performance. This paper critically reviews energy rating methods for housing and the limitations of assessment systems.

Countries with limited natural resources and high energy prices, such as Jordan, face significant challenges concerning energy consumption and energy efficiency, particularly in the context of climate change. Residential buildings are the most energy-consuming sector in Jordan. Photovoltaic (PV) systems on the rooftops of residential buildings can solve the problem of increasing electricity demands and address the need for more sustainable energy systems. This study calculated the potential electricity production from PV systems installed on the available rooftops of residential buildings and compared this production with current and future electricity consumption for residential households. A simulation tool using PV*SOL 2021 was used to estimate electricity production and a comparative method was used to compare electricity production and consumption. The results indicated that electricity production from PV systems installed on single houses and villas can cover, depending on the tilt angle and location of the properties, three to eight times their estimated future and current electricity use. PV installation on apartment buildings can cover 0.65 to 1.3 times their future and current electricity use. The surplus electricity produced can be used to mitigate urban energy demands and achieve energy sustainability.

Based on recent developments and the predicted future advancement of lighting technologies, researchers are now questioning the extent to which daylight is effective in lowering the overall energy consumption of buildings. As light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires are highly energy efficient, the amount of power consumed for lighting purposes can be reduced, even in situations where the lighting system is at its full power. It has already been demonstrated that LED-lighting technologies can facilitate significant energy savings through minimizing window size (the main source of heat loss in buildings), and there is considerable potential for developing the LEDs’ source efficacy and lighting-product efficiency to ultimately achieve levels of efficacy of approximately 350 lumens per Watt (lm/W). For building designs to be sustainable in the future, it is critical that the windows-to-wall ratio (WWR) is optimized to minimize both heating and cooling loads, as well as the total energy consumed by the building for lighting, according to the efficiency of the LED, while still maintaining a suitable lighting level for occupants. This research examines the influence of the WWR on the total amount of energy consumed by standard buildings in Jordan using various LED luminaires (existing and projected efficiencies). DesignBuilder software was utilized to analyze the effect of LED-technology development on optimizing the WWR for a typical residential structure in Jordan. The research presents beneficial recommendations with respect to optimizing the WWR for primary decision-makers in the design of residential buildings with enhanced energy efficiency, considering the losses and gains associated with solar heat and light to capitalize on solar energy with no adverse impacts by windows size. The outcomes suggest a WWR of 17% could be achieved by typical residential buildings in Jordan that have extremely efficient LED lighting systems (350 lm/W), which is more than 50% less than the existing level of 40% recommended by multiple standards. Additionally, this study highlighted that when the efficiency of LED technologies increases, the energy demand of the building will be reduced because of lower energy usage combined with heat gain resulting from the LED efficiency.

The rising usage of carbon and glass fibers has raised awareness of scrap management options. Every year, tons of composite scrap containing precious carbon and glass fibers accumulate from numerous sectors. It is necessary to recycle them efficiently, without harming the environment. Pyrolysis seems to be a realistic and promising approach, not only for efficient recovery, but also for high-quality fiber production. In this paper, the essential characteristics of the pyrolysis process, their influence on fiber characteristics, and the use of recovered fibers in the creation of a new composite are highlighted. Pyrolysis, like any other recycling process, has several drawbacks, the most problematic of which is the probability of char development on the resultant fiber surface. Due to the char, the mechanical characteristics of the recovered fibers may decrease substantially. Chemically treating and post-heating the fibers both help to reduce char formation, but only to a limited degree. Thus, it was important to identify the material cost reductions that may be achieved using recovered carbon fibers as structural reinforcement, as well as the manufacture of high-value products using recycled carbon fibers on a large scale. Recycled fibers are cheaper than virgin fibers, but they inherently vary from them as well. This has hampered the entry of recycled fiber into the virgin fiber industry. Based on cost and performance, the task of the current study was to modify the material in such a way that virgin fiber was replaced with recycled fiber. In order to successfully modify the recycling process, a regulated optimum temperature and residence duration in post-pyrolysis were advantageous.

This paper discusses and presents the implementation of a boost converter as power electronic interface to be used with the thermoelectric generator (TEG). The common application for such system is the battery charger. The boundary conditions for battery chargers include the charging current and battery voltage limits which have to be respected throughout the charging process, while the maximization of the power generated from the TEG is a global target that is desired to be met as much as possible. Coordinated control algorithm that collectively combines these constraints is the main focus of this work. Novel global control algorithm is proposed and verified in this paper with detailed analysis that shows the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Dual control loops for the voltage and current of the boost converter will be designed and analyzed to satisfy the source and load demands. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode, power matching mode and voltage stabilization mode will be integrated in the control algorithm of the battery charger. This paper puts a schematic design for a system that harvests energy from a thermoelectric generator bank of a TEG1-12611-6.0 TEG modules in order to charge a battery bank of Samsung ICR18650 Batteries using constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) charging profiles.

In this manuscript, a model for approximating the electrical power efficiency of the solar cells in relation with the air mass effect has been presented based on simple physical assumptions and in accordance with the solar radiation distribution. The model has been developed in correspondence with the air mass effect on the radiation intensity and wavelength and taking into account the energy gap effect of the silicon material.

Energy savings gained through natural lighting could be offset by the loss of energy through windows; therefore, the target of this study is to examine the effects of enhancing the efficiency of lighting systems on the optimum window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of Jordanian residential structures. This research proposes the hypothesis that the WWR of residential structures that contain artificial lighting systems with increased efficiency will be lower than buildings in which solar lighting is provided. The energy simulation tool, DesignBuilder (DesignBuilder Software Ltd, Stroud, UK) was used to simulate an intricate model showing a standard Jordanian residential building with a size of 130 m2. The study offers useful guidance regarding the optimum WWR for key decisionmakers when designing energy-efficient residential structures in the context of Jordan. By considering the balance between gains and losses in solar heat and light gain to exploit energy from solar sources with no reverse effects, while making comparisons between different WWR situations, the findings indicate that the typical WWR for residential structures in Jordan that have efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) systems of lighting installed could be between 25% and 30%, which is lower than the highest WWR stipulated by the ASHRAE standards.

Since buildings are one of the major contributors to global warming, efforts should be intensified to make them more energy-efficient, particularly existing buildings. This research intends to analyze the energy savings from a suggested retrofitting program using energy simulation for typical existing residential buildings. For the assessment of the energy retrofitting program using computer simulation, the most commonly utilized residential building types were selected. The energy consumption of those selected residential buildings was assessed, and a baseline for evaluating energy retrofitting was established. Three levels of retrofitting programs were implemented. These levels were ordered by cost, with the first level being the least costly and the third level is the most expensive. The simulation models were created for two different types of buildings in three different climatic zones in Palestine. The findings suggest that water heating, space heating, space cooling, and electric lighting are the highest energy consumers in ordinary houses. Level one measures resulted in a 19–24 percent decrease in energy consumption due to reduced heating and cooling loads. The use of a combination of levels one and two resulted in a decrease of energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting by 50–57%. The use of the three levels resulted in a decrease of 71–80% in total energy usage for heating, cooling, lighting, water heating, and air conditioning.

Any building’s design should sustain thermal comfort for occupants and promote less energy usage during its lifetime using accurate building retrofits to convert existing buildings into low-energy buildings so that the heating and cooling loads can be minimized. Regarding the methodology adopted in this research, an energy model of an educational building located at the German Jordanian University in Jordan was constructed utilizing DesignBuilder computer software. In addition, it was calibrated utilizing real energy consumption data for a 12-month simulation of energy performance. Subsequently, a computerized evaluation of the roles of building envelope retrofits or the adaptive thermal comfort limits in the reduction of the overall building energy consumption was analyzed. The results of the study show that the current building’s external wall insulation, roof insulation, glazing, windows, and external shading devices are relatively energy-efficient but with high cost, resulting in significant financial losses, even though they achieved noticeable energy savings. For instance, equipping the building’s ventilation system with an economizer culminated in the highest financial profit, contributing to an annual energy savings of 155 MWh. On the other hand, in an occupant-centered approach, applying the adaptive thermal comfort model in wider ranges by adding 1 °C, 2 °C, and 3 °C to the existing operating temperatures would save a significant amount of energy with the least cost (while maintaining indoor thermal comfort), taking over any retrofit option. Using different adaptive thermal comfort scenarios (1 °C, 2 °C, and 3 °C) led to significant savings of around 5%, 12%, and 21%, respectively. However, using different retrofits techniques proved to be costly, with minimum energy savings compared to the adaptive approach.

When they were first conceived, solar cooling systems were designed to be cost-effective and environmentally safe alternatives for the majority of the developing nations that are characterised by their hot climates in contrast with the traditional air conditioning systems powered by electricity that is produced from fossil fuel resources. Nevertheless, developments in photovoltaic (PV) and air-conditioning technologies have impacted on the prospects of solar cooling systems. This study examined two different options: a coupled PV and air conditioner system and a solar cooling system (absorption chillers where thermal energy is provided by solar collectors) for a specific developing country located in the Eastern Mediterranean region whose climate is hot and dry (Jordan). The cooling system comprised a pair of cooled multistage compression, both of which were 700 kW, while the PV system’s size was 2.1 MWp, the utility grid connection was a 0.4 kV 50 Hz net meter (2 m) and it was anticipated that 3300 MWh/year would be generated. The solar cooling system operated at a maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.79 and had an actual recorded COP of 0.32 on the site; when the electricity tariff of $0.1/kWh was considered, the respective levelised cost of energy (LCOE) values were $0.9/kWh and $2.35/kWh respectively. The findings indicate that the initial costs for the solar thermal cooling system and the PV system were approximately $3.150M and $3M, respectively. The current value of future cash payments when discounts of 6% per year were applied to the payments for the combination of PV and air conditioning was about $9,745,000, whereas the solar thermal cooling system will not reach the breakeven point at negative $1,730,000. It is clear the absorption chiller did not display economic feasibility, whereas the value for the coupled PV and air-conditioning systems was under $0.05/kWh. In addition to the extensive maintenance needs, the reduced COP and the practicality and feasibility of the solar thermal cooling systems mean these kinds of technologies are under significant pressure to remain competitive when faced with the development of new air conditioning and PV technologies.

Enhancing the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of buildings is a significant global aim. New construction regulations are, therefore, geared specifically towards low-emission and energy-efficient projects. However, there are numerous and typically competitive priorities, such as making the most of energy usage in residential buildings. This leads to the complex topic of multi-objective optimisation. The primary aim of this research was to reduce the energy consumed for heating and cooling loads in residential buildings in Ma’an City, which is located in the Jordanian Saharan Mediterranean, a cool climate zone. This was achieved by optimising various design variables (window to wall percent, ground floor construction, local shading type, infiltration rate (ac/h), glazing type, flat roof construction, natural ventilation rate, window blind type, window shading control schedule, partition construction, site orientation and external wall construction) of the building envelope. DesignBuilder software (version 6.1) was utilised to run a sensitivity analysis (SA) for 12 design variables to evaluate their influence on both heating and cooling loads simultaneously using a regression method. The variables were divided into two groups according to their importance and a genetic algorithm (GA) was then applied to both groups. The optimum solution selected for the high-importance variables was based on minimising the heating and cooling loads. The optimum solution selected for the low-importance variables was based on the lowest summation of the heating and cooling loads. Finally, a scenario was devised (using the combined design variables of the two solutions) and simulated. The results indicate that the total energy consumption was 1186.21 kWh/year, divided into 353.03 kWh/year for the cooling load and 833.18 kWh/year for the heating load. This was compared with 9969.38 kWh/year of energy, divided into 3878.37 kWh/year for the heating load and 6091.01 kWh/year for the cooling load for the baseline building. Thus, the amount of energy saved was 88.1%, 94.2% and 78.5% for total energy consumption, cooling load and heating load, respectively. However, implementing the modifications suggested by the optimisation of the low-importance variables was not cost-effective, especially the external wall construction and partition construction, and therefore these design variables can be neglected in future studies.

To design energy-efficient buildings, energy assessment programs need to be developed for determining the inside air temperature, so that thermal comfort of the occupant can be sustained. The internal temperatures could be calculated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis; however, miniscule time steps (seconds and milliseconds) are used by a long-term simulation (i.e., weeks, months) that require excessive time for computing wind effects results even for high-performance personal computers. This paper examines a new method, wherein the wind effect surrounding the buildings is integrated with the external air temperature to facilitate wind simulation in building analysis over long periods. This was done with the help of an equivalent temperature (known as Tnatural), where the convection heat loss is produced in an equal capacity by this air temperature and by the built-in wind effects. Subsequently, this new external air temperature Tnatural can be used to calculate the internal air temperature. Upon inclusion of wind effects, above 90% of the results were found to be within 0–3 °C of the perceived temperatures compared to the real data (99% for insulated cavity brick (InsCB), 91% for cavity brick (CB), 93% for insulated reverse brick veneer (InsRBV) and 94% for insulated brick veneer (InsBV) modules). However, a decline of 83–88% was observed in the results after ignoring the wind effects. Hence, the presence of wind effects holds greater importance in correct simulation of the thermal performance of the modules. Moreover, the simulation time will expectedly reduce to below 1% of the original simulation time.

Energy-efficient building design needs an accurate way to estimate temperature inside the building which facilitates the calculation of heating and cooling energy requirements in order to achieve appropriate thermal comfort for occupants. Sky temperature is an important factor for any building assessment tool which needs to be precisely determined for accurate estimation of the energy requirement. Many building simulation tools have been used to calculate building thermal performance such as Autodesk Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, which can be used to calculate building internal air temperature but requires sky temperature as a key input factor for the simulation. Real data obtained from real-sized house modules located at University of Newcastle, Australia (southern hemisphere), were used to find the impact of different sky temperatures on the building’s thermal performance using CFD simulation. Various sky temperatures were considered to determine the accurate response which aligns with a real trend of buildings’ internal air temperature. It was found that the internal air temperature in a building keeps either rising or decreasing if higher or lower sky temperature is chosen. This significantly decreases the accuracy of the simulation. It was found that using the right sky temperature values for each module, Cavity Brick Module (CB) Insulated Cavity Brick Module (InsCB), Insulated Brick Veneer Module (InsBV) and Insulated Reverse Brick Veneer Module (InsRBV), will result in 6.5%, 7.1%, 6.2% and 6.4% error correspondingly compared with the real data. These errors mainly refer to the simulation error. On the other hand using higher sky temperatures by +10 °C will significantly increase the simulation error to 16.5%, 17.5%, 17.1% and 16.8% and lower sky temperature by +10 °C will also increase the error to 19.3%, 22.6%, 21.9% and 19.1% for CB, InsCB, InsBV and InsRBV modules, respectively.

Air conditioning is becoming increasingly important in the energy supply of buildings worldwide. There has been a dramatic increase in energy requirements for cooling buildings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This is before taking the effects of climate change into account, which will also entail a sharp increase in cooling requirements. This paper presents the potential of using a solar thermal absorption cooling system in Sub-Mediterranean Climate. Four sites in Jordan are now equipped with water-lithium bromide (H2O-LiBr) absorption chillers with a total nominal capacity of 530 kW. The focus of the paper was on the pilot system at the German Jordanian University (GJU) campus with a cooling capacity of 160 kW. The system was designed and integrated in order to support two existing conventional compression chillers with a nominal cooling capacity of 700 kW. The system was economically evaluated based on the observed cooling capacity results with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) equals 0.32, and compared with the values observed for a COP of 0.79 which is claimed by the manufacturer. Several techniques were implemented to evaluate the overall economic viability in-depth such as present worth value, internal rate of return, payback period, and levelized cost of electricity. The aforementioned economic studies showed that the absorption cooling system is deemed not feasible for the observed COP of 0.32 over a lifespan of 25 years. The net present value was equal to −137,684 JD and a payback period of 44 years which exceeds the expected lifespan of the project. Even for an optimal operation of COP = 0.79, the discounted payback period was equal to 23 years and the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) was equal to 0.65 JD/kWh. The survey shows that there are several weaknesses for applying solar thermal cooling in developing countries such as the high cost of these systems and, more significantly, the lack of experience for such systems.

Securing energy supply and diversifying the energy sources is one of the main goals of energy strategy for most countries. Due to climate change, wind energy is becoming increasingly important as a method of CO2-free energy generation. In this paper, a wind farm with five turbines located in Jerash, a city in northern Jordan, has been designed and analyzed. Optimization of wind farms is an important factor in the design stage to minimize the cost of wind energy to become more competitive and economically attractive. The analyses have been carried out using the WindFarm software to examine the significance of wind turbines’ layouts (M, straight and arch shapes) and spacing on the final energy yield. In this research, arranging the turbines facing the main wind direction with five times rotor diameter distance between each turbine has been simulated, and has resulted in 22.75, 22.87 and 21.997 GWh/year for the M shape, Straight line and Arch shape, respectively. Whereas, reducing the distance between turbines to 2.5 times of the rotor diameter (D) resulted in a reduction of the wind farm energy yield to 22.68, 21.498 and 21.5463 GWh/year for the M shape, Straight line and Arch shape, respectively. The energetic efficiency gain for the optimized wind turbines compared to the modeled layouts regarding the distances between the wind turbines. The energetic efficiency gain has been in the range between 8.9% for 5D (rotor diameter) straight layout to 15.9% for 2.5D straight layout.

Containing and then reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions require designing energy efficient buildings which save energy and emit less GHG. Orientation has an impact on the building’s overall thermal performance and designing heating and cooling to reach occupants’ thermal comfort. Correct orientation is a low cost option to improve occupant's thermal comfort and decrease cooling and heating energy. An appropriate building orientation will allow the desirable winter sun to enter the building and allow ventilation in the summer by facing the summer wind stream. In this paper, a building module in Jordan will be assessed using Design Builder Simulation packages to find the effect of the building orientation on the overall thermal performance. It was found that the larger windows should be in the southern walls in the northern hemisphere to provide the most heat to the building through the window which allows the sun in winter to enter the building and heat it up. This will reduce the amount required for heating by approximately 35% per annum.

Desert coolers have attracted much attention as an alternative to mechanical air conditioning systems, as they are proving to be of lower initial cost and significantly lower operating cost. However, the uncontrolled increase in the moisture content of the supply air is still a great issue for indoor air quality and human thermal comfort concerns. This paper represents an experimental and numerical investigation of a modified desert air cooler into a liquid desiccant air conditioner (LDAC). An experimental setup was established to explore the supply air properties for an adapted commercial desert cooler. Several experiments were performed for air−water and air−desiccant as flow media, at several solutions to air mass ratios. Furthermore, the experimental results were compared with the result of a numerical simplified effectiveness model. The outcomes indicate a sharp reduction in the air humidity ratio by applying the desiccant solutions up to 5.57 g/kg and up to 4.15 g/kg, corresponding to dew point temperatures of 9.5 °C and 12.4 °C for LiCl and CaCl2, respectively. Additionally, the experimental and the numerical results concurred having shown the same pattern, with a maximal deviation of about 18% within the experimental uncertainties.