Long-Term Monitoring of the Indoor Environment in Two Apartments in Jordan

Abstract

Buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the world's energy consumption, with heating and cooling being the primary contributors, resulting in up to one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. The residential sector accounts for a quarter of global electricity consumption, and in the Arab Mashreq and Maghreb countries, residential buildings consume around 41% of the total electricity, mainly for heating and cooling. Existing residential buildings constitute a significant portion of the total building stock and, as such, play a crucial role in the overall performance of the building sector. To address this issue, it is essential to invest in the energy retrofitting of existing residential buildings. The first step must be the characterization of the buildings performance and understand the impact of the current construction solutions. To that end, a year-long monitoring campaign in two occupied apartments in Jordan, one in Amman and another in Irbid, monitored air temperature and relative humidity in kitchen, bedroom, and living room areas. Results, evaluated using EN16798, revealed that the use of heating devices were necessary for winter comfort, while in summer periods with overheating risk, can be mitigated by natural ventilation through window openings. An initial discussion concerning the impact of the thermal properties of the construction fabric of the buildings is crucial, paving the way for retrofitting proposals based on sustainable and cost-effective alternatives.