ORCID Profile
0000-0002-2474-494X
Current Organisation
An-Najah National University
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Publications
Improving the Thermal Performance of Building Envelopes: An Approach to Enhancing the Building Energy Efficiency Code
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-12-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU142316264
Abstract: Cities on the east Mediterranean coast, especially in Palestine, are struggling to move towards sustainability as they are vulnerable to climate change and lack natural resources, especially energy resources, and this situation is further aggravated by high energy prices. The problem is the building sector, which is the most challenging sector when it comes to cities’ sustainability and, specifically, energy sustainability. In Palestine, this sector is the main consumer of energy but it lacks energy efficiency measures, such as up-to-date building energy codes. This study analyzed building thermal performance under different scenarios with a focus on building envelopes. We aimed to evaluate the benefits of introducing an updated building energy code—mainly addressing U-values for building envelopes—on future reductions in energy demand. We used a simulation tool (DesignBuilder) to evaluate typical existing building-envelope thermal and energy performances. Then, we undertook a comparison between the existing conditions and the proposed application of different scenarios, including the existing Palestinian building energy code and green building guidelines, the ASHRAE code for building envelopes, and the Jordanian building energy code, in order to introduce an updated building envelope energy code. The results showed that the current situation—building without applying any energy code or applying the existing Palestinian building energy code—is far from the high-energy performance that could be achieved by applying international or local green building codes. The use of thermal insulation could reduce the energy demand for heating by 83 to 43%, depending on the building type, climatic zone, and U-value. We recommend utilizing different U-values for building envelopes in different climatic zones to achieve high thermal performance. The results from this study have implications for construction industry professionals, local governments, and researchers seeking to establish high-energy-performance building envelopes.
‘It’s always there’: A study of the sources and motivations for Australian teens’ news consumption
Publisher: Intellect
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1386/AJR_00090_7
Abstract: There is much to learn about the news habits of Australian teens and this study contributes to the small body of current research through an exploration of the news-consumption practices of 13–17-year-olds at a Victorian independent school. In doing so, it explores the complex behaviours of younger people who are immersed in a physical and digital environment where, in their own words, news and information ‘is always there’. Through an analysis of focus-group data, informed by Potter’s theory of media literacy, this study supports international research findings that teens are aware of a range of daily news sources but mostly experience them incidentally. They purposefully seek news when it is a topic that holds their interest or is somehow personally relevant to them. Other significant findings suggest that Australian teens rely heavily on the search engine Google for news and information and have little to no allegiance to specific news providers. Teens believe ‘knowing’ the news will become more relevant to them as they get older and take on adult responsibilities.
Towards Sustainable Energy Retrofitting, a Simulation for Potential Energy Use Reduction in Residential Buildings in Palestine
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-06-2021
DOI: 10.3390/EN14133876
Abstract: 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.
Potential Electricity Production by Installing Photovoltaic Systems on the Rooftops of Residential Buildings in Jordan: An Approach to Climate Change Mitigation
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-01-2022
DOI: 10.3390/EN15020496
Abstract: 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.
Related Organisations
E O Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Location: United States of America
Related Funding Activities
No related grants have been discovered for Sameh Monna.