Improving the Energy Efficiency of the Residential Buildings in Jordan

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of energy retrofit programs for the existing residential buildings under the typical Jordanian climate. The Jordanian climate has mild heating season and a hot (and usually dry) cooling season. Several building types located in Jordan were considered as case study. The household sector in Jordan accounts for almost 43% of the total electricity consumption. Three levels of energy retrofit programs have been proposed. The economic, environmental and social benefits of the programs have been analyzed. Parametric analyses have been performed to determine the impact of each energy efficiency measure on the energy performance of residential buildings. The payback period for each level have been determined for several regions located in Jordan. The results proved the feasibility of the program except for implementing the third level on a traditional house. The results show that implementing level 3 energy efficiency measures can save up to 43% of the annual electricity consumption, save up to 842 MW on peak demand energy, and 2190 kilo-ton/year reduction of CO2 emission. That is equivalent to 3.37 TWH of electricity consumption compared to the base case. The total jobs created will be 80,769 job/year when performing the retrofit program

Design Optimization of Energy Efficient Residential Buildings in Mediterranean Region

The purpose of this study is to introduce a methodology to identify optimal energy performance packages at the lowest cost during the estimated economic lifecycle for a residential building located in the Mediterranean climate. The method is applied to a detached single one-story building and calculations are performed for three climatic zones of Jordan which are relatively different from each other consider national factors. The energy conservation measures investigated are: dimming lighting control, building orientations, glazing type and its configurations, indoor conditions, upgrading heating, ventilation, air conditioning system, thermal insulation, and resident behavior. It was found that the optimum energy savings at the lowest cost are: 30%, 23%, and 39% for the reference building located in Irbid, Ma’an, and Aqaba respectively. The cost-optimal point is well identified in a hot climate. Based on the results, the climatic characteristics is a very important parameter affecting the reference building definition procedure. Based on the results, the methodology is highly sensitivity to national factors and utility rates and slightly sensitive to the discount rates, cost calculation period, and development price

Warfarin-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis and proteinuria

Warfarin is typically prescribed for patients with thromboembolic diseases and atrial fibrillation. In addition to the complications of bleeding, allergic skin reaction is one of its rare adverse effects. We herein report a case of a 79 year old male patient with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and proteinuria secondary to warfarin. The warfarin was discontinued and oral prednisone therapy was initiated. The cutaneous lesions and the proteinuria resolved thereafter