AREE

Jordanian Pilot Project for Energy Efficient Design and Construction

Press Release

Jordan’s energy needs are currently met mostly by expensive imports of oil and gas. To offset these, Government subsidies on the sales of fuel are being reduced. This means that rising energy costs are being passed on to the Jordanian consumers. As a result the cost of heating and cooling our houses is becoming a larger component of the average household budget, since most modern Jordanian homes are not designed with energy conservation in mind. Most houses are too cold in winter, and become too hot in summer.

Because the typical Jordanian house is neither designed nor constructed to be very energy efficient, there are a number of straightforward ways in which a house can be made to be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, but these simple techniques are rarely applied. To demonstrate and encourage better design and construction, a pilot project/experimental house is now being constructed in Aqaba. Its purpose is to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of energy efficient design and construction techniques and installations for a typical residential building particularly in a hot, dry climate.

The building is being developed by the Emtairah Consulting Corporation, and will be known as the AREE – for Aqaba Residence Energy Efficiency. The building design is by Florentine Visser, a Dutch architect based in Jordan, and is one of the winning entries in the Aqaba Housing Competition, a design competition held in 2004 by the Center for the Study of the Built Envrionment (CSBE). The engineering is by Mohammad abu Afefeh in Aqaba, and the contractor is Mohammed Abdul Al Aziz Rabiah & Partners.

The building will accommodate 420 m² of residential space. The design focuses on reducing the electricity costs for cooling, by the following means:

1. Clever design – orientation, floor plan layout, careful architectural detailing, the use of architectural features and landscaping for shading and the use of natural ventilation.

2. Building technology, construction techniques and materials – improved construction detailing and the use of insulation in the walls and roof.

3. New technologies – an experimental solar powered cooling system, evaporative cooling and possibly optional photovoltaic (PV) panels for electricity generation.

The residence will also incorporate some integrated water saving and recycling installations.

Computer simulation results show that the cooling demand could be reduced by around 35% compared to a typical building. This, combined with a solar cooling system should result in a reduction in the annual electricity bill by around 70%. Although the initial construction costs will be higher, it is estimated that the additional costs will have be recovered in the first 7 years of use. This will be confirmed once the building is operational, as the performance of the building will be monitored after construction is completed.

The building is situated in the 9th residential area of Aqaba. Construction began in early 2007 and is scheduled for completion by early 2008.  The skeleton is due to be finished by the end of June. As part of the project’s aim to be a demonstration showcase, the building will be open from time to time to public and professionals.

AREE has been selected as a Pilot Project by the EU-funded MED ENEC project. This program aims at promoting energy efficiency for construction in the Mediterranean region. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) is also patron of the project, and the Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) is a MED-ENEC project partner, involved in dissemination of the performance and results.

Updated information will be made available from time to time on this web site and www.med-enec.com or can be obtained from

Tareq Emtairah: tareq.emtairah@iiiee.lu.se   

or

Florentine Visser: florentine_jordan@yahoo.com

AREE: Building under construction

3D image of the completed AREE