Thrifty-Retrofit Pathways for Low-Middle Income Apartments in Amman, Jordan

Energy security constitutes a major challenge for Jordan’s sustainable development. Space heating in Jordan represents ~61% of total residential energy consumption and dominantly involves portable un-flued kerosene and LPG stoves. Fuel combustion of such heaters generates poor indoor air quality and emits GHGs. Moreover, recent housing condition surveys show that the majority of dwellings in Jordan are very energy inefficient. The low- and middle-income households constitute ~74% of the total urban households in the economic hub, namely the capital Amman. This thesis aims to define thrifty-retrofit pathways for low- and middle-income apartments in Amman, Jordan to improve the thermal efficiency of the apartments and enhance the quality of life and well-being of their occupants to bridge the knowledge gap found in research. Eventually, achieving this aim will help alleviate the households in question from fuel poverty and reduce GHG emissions. This aim was approached by employing a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. Two scoping studies were undertaken between 2013 and 2014, during which massive statistical data were collected from different organizations in Jordan, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with different stakeholders there. The main field survey of this project took place in winter 2015 and involved 106 low- and middle-income apartments statistically distributed over the five urban sub-districts of Amman. The field study involved both subjective and objective surveys through undertaking measurements, semi-structured interviews and observations. The collected data were analysed using content analysis, Microsoft Excel, Nvivo and dynamic thermal simulation (DTS). DesignBuilder software was calibrated using a case study apartment. Two of the 106 surveyed apartments were selected to be undertaken DTS. The thermal performances and economic achievements of the pre-defined retrofit packages were then assessed for the apartments in question. The results showed that the PMV comfort level can be used to accurately predict thermal comfort. Retrofitting the walls and the roofs in the two retrofit scenarios significantly improved the thermal performance of the case studies in question. For a 10-year project life and 5% fixed interest rate the defined retrofit pathways proved to be economically feasible except for retrofitting the whole middle-income apartment. Generally, the results showed that the employed retrofitting approach in the apartments in question secured up to ~95% and ~99% reductions in heating energy and CO2 emissions, respectively which exceeded the upper reduction limits were concluded by researchers on this regard. Consequently, the packages of each model were ranked according to the parameters of the highest reductions in energy consumed for heating and CO2 emissions, the highest NPV and IRR values and the shortest SPP to result into thrifty retrofit pathways models for each household type. The households in question, as well as the stakeholders, architects and designers, can now select from these pathways models the package that best fits the requirements and the budget of the target household. The conceptual framework which was followed in this research to shape the thrifty-retrofit pathways for low- and middle-income apartments in Amman, Jordan was illustratively identified. This thesis has been concluded by drawing different limitations and recommendations which are envisaged to open doors for further work and research.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Younis, Ahmad

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/fa2a7d38-18cc-441d-b5c9-2bc359569370/download