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Aqaba Residence Energy Efficiency (AREE) is an energy efficient  building designed for hot dry climate. AREE is located in the 9th  district of Aqaba city, Jordan.

The building, 420 m²  in size, is designed for residential purpose with the option of use as guest  researcher loggings/study center.

The project is the national winner of the ENERGY GLOBE Award 2007.

Centre for the Study of the Built  Environment (CSBE)    mcilwaine@csbe.org     Emtairah Consulting Corp (ECC)

Architect:
Florentine Visser

The purpose of the Aqaba Residence Energy  Efficiency is to show energy efficient design and construction in a dry hot  climate, where summer temperatures rise above 40ºC and to inspire adoption of  best practices in residential buildings for the future.
The building should not radically depart  from conventional practices to allow for adoption by the future home owners in  the region.

The design approach is to demonstrate the  potential of reducing electricity demand for cooling through:

  1. Design & behavioral elements
  2. Building materials
  3. Renewable energy technology

Profitability
  Translated into figures, the pilot project  shows a reduction of the total primary energy consumption down to less than 20%  compared to a newly built conventional building in Jordan. The additional cost  compared to a standard building is approximately 50,000 Euro. The pay back is  expected to be around 12 years but will come down to less than four years  taking into account large scale building programs and the learning effect.
 

The energy concept for AREE is based on an  integrated approach incorporating measures for energy conservation, rational  use of energy and application of renewable energies. The focus is mainly on  reducing electricity usage for cooling.

Basic measures with high / moderate cost  efficiency:

 
• Compact thermal  mass
 
• Orientation of  the building
 
• Evaporation cooling
 
• Thermal wall for  heat accumulation and sun gain in winter
 
• Landscaping and  plants for shading
 
• Improved insulation  for roof and walls
 
• Energy efficient  lighting and appliances

Additional measures:

 
• Adsorption solar  cooling

If passive strategies are combined with the  use of renewable energies, almost a "Zero-Energy House" becomes possible,  reducing CO2-emissions by 1150 tons in the lifetime of the building  (50 years).

Taking into account the additional  investment cost of around 50,000 € for the MED-ENEC pilot project solution, the  pay back time only starts after approx. 12 years.
   

It can, however, be reduced to only 4  years, if only the most cost efficient technologies are applied and through  learning and scale effects in the framework of large public or private building  programs.

Download the Pilot Project brochure in english here.

Dowload the Pilot Project brochure in arabic here.

Download the progress report of the Jordan PP here.

Download photos of the Jordan PP here.

Download the Press release of the jordan PP by clicking here.