Energy In Jordan Research Articles

A characterization study of Wadi Thamad oil shale: Towards a new source of energy in Jordan

AbstractJordan's energy sector faces significant challenges due to rising fuel prices, making the exploration of local energy resources crucial. The abundant oil shale deposits in Wadi Thamad present a promising opportunity. Since Wadi Thamad oil shale has never been studied before, this research focuses on the Wadi Thamad basin near Madaba, Jordan, aiming to comprehensively characterize its oil shale using advanced analytical techniques. Using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry, this study assesses the mineralogical, chemical, and thermal properties of Wadi Thamad oil shale. The findings reveal calcite and quartz as the primary minerals, with significant aliphatic, CO2, hydroxyl, and carboxyl groups. Elemental analysis highlights essential oxides, such as CaO and SiO2. Fischer assay results indicate an oil content of 5.3–10.1 wt%, a gross‐calorific value of 4.56–7.69 MJ/kg, and a sulfur content of 1.77–2.10 wt%. The peak pyrolysis temperature is 432.4°C from TGA. This research's novelty lies in its comprehensive approach to characterizing the underexplored Wadi Thamad oil shale basin. The findings enhance the understanding of Wadi Thamad's geological composition and underscore its potential as a local energy resource, contributing valuable data to Jordan's energy portfolio and offering economic benefits.

Renewable process heat from solar thermal: Poultry slaughterhouse processes

Jordan faces pressing energy challenges, characterized by a substantial dependence on imported resources. This paper addresses these challenges by examining the potential integration of solar thermal energy systems into poultry slaughterhouses, using a representative case study. The study starts by providing a brief background on Jordan's energy challenges and the rationale for exploring solar thermal applications in the poultry industry. The methodology involves a meticulous analysis of existing processes in the slaughterhouse, followed by the necessary calculations for integrating a solar thermal flat plate collector. Validation is performed through T*SOL and Polysun simulations, accompanied by a comprehensive economic analysis. The proposed flat plate collector-based system demonstrates the capacity to cover approximately 72% of the facility's annual energy requirements, resulting in substantial savings of 1,926,396 kWh per year, equivalent to 330,318 L of diesel. Simulation results indicate a concise payback period of 3.8 years and net profits approximately 6.6 times the initial investment over a 25-year span. Beyond economic benefits, the adoption of solar technology leads to an 84% reduction in annual CO2 emissions, underscoring its environmental advantages. The study also sheds light on a notable lack of awareness about solar thermal technology, emphasizing the need for knowledge dissemination to foster global renewable energy adoption.

Developing a housing stock model for evaluating energy Performance: The case of Jordan

The housing stock is the long-lasting component of the settlement structure. The dwellings make up 72% of buildings and consume around 40% of the primary energy in Jordan. The government in Jordan aims to meet the goals of Paris Agreement by 2050 toward net zero carbon. Considering its importance, this study aims to provide an approach for developing a housing stock model for Jordan to evaluate energy consumption of the residential sector at national level, as a baseline for improving the energy performance of the entire housing stock.A bottom-up approach is used to generate models of the Jordanian housing stock based on available buildings datasets. The generated 21 archetype models are analysed and used to evaluate the energy consumption of the national housing stock. Two archetype models represent the highest contribution, more than 80%, of annual energy use from the entire housing stock. The uncertainty analysis figures out that the 8.3% discrepancy between the baseline results and the measured data, for the entire stock, can be explained by the expected variation in input data.The study can provide policymakers with valuable insights into the energy performance of Jordan’s housing stock and inform the development of effective policies and strategies to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable development. For example, it can assist in identifying the most effective interventions for refurbishment of different archetypes in the current stock, and the improvements required in new-build dwellings and thereby facilitate the transition to a low-carbon building stock in Jordan.

The Impact Of Strategic Foresight On Crisis Management In Jordan's Energy Security Sector

The Impact Of Strategic Foresight On Crisis Management In Jordan's Energy Security Sector

An experimental study on hybrid control of a solar tracking system to maximize energy harvesting in Jordan

Due to its capacity to maximize the power produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar tracking systems have grown in popularity. However, erratic weather conditions, like cloudy or overcast days, change the panel's preferred orientation. On sunny days, the panel is turned to face the sun's radiation; however, on cloudy or overcast days, diffused radiation alters the optimal position. This has increased the necessity for new search algorithms that control the orientation of the panel to generate the most power feasible regardless of the weather conditions. This study aims at developing a sun-tracking system that can adjust the solar panel's orientation to generate the maximum possible electrical output from solar energy in Jordan, regardless of the local climate. To achieve this; a hybrid controller has been created that combines an open-loop sun monitoring system with a dynamic feedback controller built on an active search algorithm. The suggested algorithm is built on the real-time measurement of the PV panels' waning solar irradiance by using small solar cell 0.6 W. The system switches to the recently proposed circular path finding method to locate the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) if the instantaneous irradiance level falls below a predetermined threshold (DNI irradiance). As a result of the testing phase, the generated power of a solar panel increased by about 35%, confirming the effectiveness of the newly proposed sun tracker hybrid control system. During experimental test, positive irradiance current noises are appeared, using average filter taking the mean of 100 values for one measurement.

A baseline long term technoeconomic electricity supply model for highly regulated fuel importing countries prone to shortages: Case of Jordan

Jordan, like other fuel-importing countries, is highly susceptible to fuel shortages and price fluctuations due to global events. Political turmoil in the region has frequently disrupted Jordan's energy supply, including the recent cessation of natural gas imports from Egypt, which is examined in this study. To address these interruptions, Jordan signed a 15-year contract to import natural gas from the Leviathan gas field. Jordan has long term power purchase agreements with independent power producers. thus, creating a safe investment environment in the electricity production sector. In this research a long-term energy model was developed and implemented for Jordan with the Open-Source long-term energy modeling tool OSeMOSYS. The model is used to assess current policy and compare options moving forward. This study brings into focus the issues facing fuel importing countries prone to shortages. Contractual aspects were incorporated in the model and investigated. The need to diversify natural gas import contracts with relatively shorter durations was demonstrated. The impact of different fuel pricing projections was highlighted and needs to be considered when drawing up such contracts. It was also demonstrated that the current renewable energy outlook needs modification. potential of renewable energy needs added consideration from stakeholders and policy makers.

The status and potential of renewable energy development in Jordan: exploring challenges and opportunities

The energy sector poses one of the largest challenges for the Jordanian economy because it directly influences economic growth. The country’s high dependence on imported intensive fossil-fuel sources (93% in 2021) has overburdened the national budget. The government has therefore defined a set of priorities and actions based on greater utilization of domestic resources, including renewable energy. The capacity of renewable energy systems feeding into the power grid in Jordan reached 2,445 megawatts (MW) in 2021, approximately 20% of the national electricity mix. This article investigates the capacity of renewable energy in Jordan and analyzes the present state of its renewable energy industry, which can aid decision makers and investors in developing plans for future projects. The country is taking steps to address several obstacles facing the energy sector including upgrading the grid, exporting excess electricity generated from renewables to international markets, and developing new policies and regulations for renewable energy growth. Jordan has significant potential to succeed in scaling up its use of renewables, particularly in electricity generation, which could reduce energy prices for consumers and improve energy security. The article also discusses opportunities in the renewable energy industry in Jordan and outlines next steps including reducing domestic greenhouse-gas emissions.

Solar energy in Jordan: Investigating challenges and opportunities of using domestic solar energy systems

With the recent global increase in fossil energy prices post Covid-19 and the drive to enhance sustainability towards NetZero, renewable energy is becoming one of the key global technologies to power societies at an affordable cost. This paper presents a novel study in relation to solar energy use in residential dwellings in Jordan, to discuss the benefits and challenges of using domestic solar energy systems within the current context of increasing energy prices. The Self-Determination Theory and Maslow's Hierarchical Theory are discussed in-line with the findings. This study, in addition to literature review, has utilised qualitative and quantitative data collected from an on-line survey with 366 participants to investigate Jordanian consumers' energy consumption behaviour, perception of renewables, and major factors influencing solar energy adoption. The novelty of this study that it provides a bench mark of affordability for future initiatives. The Jordan Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Fund is currently creating several initiatives to drive the society to adopt renewable energy. The results of this study will help to identify the crucial factors that could be hindering the adoption and expansion of renewables, particularly solar energy. This work has investigated awareness, motivation, difficulties, affordability and level of satisfaction in relation to solar energy in domestic dwellings. The results of this study have shown that Jordanians believe that financial affordability and awareness are both crucial for utilising renewables. For current users of solar systems, there is an increased satisfaction in their performance levels. However, energy storage is critical for enhancing the implementation of solar energy due to the complexity of grid-connected systems and the need for off-grid installations. Therefore, if renewable energy providers and governmental bodies aim to expand the implementation of solar energy technology and enhance public engagement, then it can be suggested that they should expand the promotion process of solar energy through platforms and further initiatives that engage with the public and subsidise the cost to provide more affordable solar energy systems for residential dwellings. The aim is to decrease carbon emission, reduce energy cost and enhance sustainability towards Net Zero Carbon emission.

Customers' purchase intention of renewable energy in Jordan: the case of solar panel systems using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB)

PurposeThis study aims to examine the influence of various factors on the customers’ purchase intention of renewable energy in Jordan. The hypotheses and model of the study were adopted from previous studies.Design/methodology/approachThe present study was undertaken based on an online survey of 428 Jordanians who are nonusers of renewable energy. The sample was selected using a stratified random sampling method using a structured questionnaire method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.FindingsThe results indicated that attitudes, subjective norms (social influence), perceived price, knowledge and perceived behavioral control significantly affect the purchase intention of Jordanian customers to adopt renewable energy. Moreover, the study confirms that there are statistically significant differences between demographic variables such as age, income and education about renewable energy purchasing intentions, whereas gender was not significant.Research limitations/implicationsSome limitations have been identified. First, the generalizability of the findings is one of the common limitations of scientific research, and this study is not an exception. In this regard, the current study has been carried out in the south of Jordan. Therefore, to expand the validity of the findings, future studies need to be attempted in other places in Jordan. Second, the existing study focused on solar panel systems as a form of renewable energy. Future studies could focus on other kinds of renewable energy, such as wind energy. Third, although the sample size of this study was appropriate and sufficient, future studies could use larger samples to enhance the robustness of the results.Practical implicationsThe findings of the current study could help practitioners in the renewable energy industry by identifying the key factors that motivate Jordanian customers to purchase and use such technology. They may use the findings of this study in the formulation of marketing policies and the development of marketing strategies to attract more customers to purchase and use renewable energy appliances like solar panels.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies in the energy industry of Jordan devoted to developing and testing a model of determinants of purchasing intentions for solar panel systems that focuses on renewable energy purchasing behavior. Further, this study used demographic variables as control variables, which makes the study different from other studies by investigating the role of demographic characteristics in the context of the purchase intention for solar panel systems.

Availability and the Possibility of Employing Wastes and Biomass Materials Energy in Jordan

The state of Jordan’s energy independence is critical, with the country relying almost entirely on imported oil and gas. Consequently, energy availability is considered to be the most significant challenge faced by Jordan’s industrial sectors. Between 2014–2019, the Jordan generated over 12,000 kilo-tons of waste and residue each year. The available quantities of agricultural residues and animal wastes produced in Jordan were approximately 1284.2 kilo-tons/year and 10,909.6 kilotons/year, respectively, of which an estimated 42% could be used as a source of biogas. Two options for utilizing biomass resources have been reviewed in this paper: thermal treatment (direct combustion) and as a source of biogas. The quantity of biogas that can be produced in Jordan from a variety of biomass feedstocks is estimated to be 816.2 million cubic meters (MCM), which is equivalent to a yearly power output of 960.9 GWh, representing approximately 5.1% of the total electricity consumed by Jordan in 2019 (18,853 GWh). Assuming a thermal efficiency of 70%, biogas can generate as much as 4.8 TWh of heat energy. Alternatively, the direct combustion of various biomasses can provide Jordan with 2316.7 GWh of electricity. These findings may lead to the development of a long-term strategic plan for the intelligent utilization of available biomass feedstocks for electrical generation and/or as a source of biogas. This would consequently raise the proportion of sustainable energy derived from biomass in Jordan’s energy mix. This work aims to assess the technical, economic, and environmental aspects associated with incorporating biomass resources into Jordan’s energy network.

Reduction of effective cost for seawater desalination using floated solar energy in south of Jordan Aqaba Port

The major issue that prevails all over the world is potable water. Only 1% of all Earth’s water exists as liquid, whereas less than 3% as freshwater, mostly glaciers, and 97% as salt water. Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water in order to obtain fresh water. Nowadays, scientists are exploring seawater desalination for potable water. Another key concern that exists in any country is clean energy. The energy crisis is due to overconsumption of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Engineers try various sources of renewable energy. The cost of potable water and clean energy, say, the cost pertaining to capital, operation, maintenance, performance, and fuel, has increased year after year. The technologies for generating renewable energy, like solar and wind, do not have fuel costs. Modern desalination techniques incur a high initial investment and a higher maintenance cost. The life-cycle cost per litre of potable water generated by the solar stills is lower than that of conventional methods. The most cost-effective way to power desalination plants is with solar power. Seawater desalination with the use of solar power is employed in these regions as a viable alternative solution. Jordan is a country in western Asia. Water and energy sources are scarce in Jordan, with water availability in Jordan is estimated to be less than 100 m3 per year. Jordan imports 95% of its energy needs. Jordan plans to generate 14% of the country’s electricity by utilizing wind and solar energy. The use of solar stills in Jordan can reduce the dependency on oil and gas for power generation. The use of floating solar stills for seawater desalination represents a promising tool for Jordan. Solar stills work on the evaporation and condensation processes. They distil water by using the heat of the sun. Efficiency and productivity have been measured to quantify the performance of solar stills. Solar stills have the advantages of simplicity, low cost, ease of maintenance, and low environmental impact. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze the types, materials, components, design, performance, cost, benefits, advantages, and limitations of solar stills. The paper also discussed the reduction of the effective cost of seawater desalination using floated solar energy in Jordan's Aqaba Port.

Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energetic Potential from Solid Waste Landfills in Jordan: A Comparative Modelling Analysis

Landfilling of solid waste has been and continues to be among the most common practices of solid waste disposal. This is particularly true for Jordan, where approximately 3.3 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) is annually generated, with 90% of the generated amount disposed into landfills. The main objective of this study is to estimate the quantities of landfill gas (LFG) generated from the solid waste disposal and its potential as a source of clean energy in Jordan using four different models, namely, GasSim 2.5, LandGEM, Afvalzorg, and Mexico Landfill Gas Model V2 (MLFGM V2). Furthermore, the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of LFG projects was estimated. Currently, there are 18 active landfills that are distributed across the country. Based on screening criteria, the landfills were grouped into three categories: five landfills were considered for energy production, four were strong candidates for LFG collection and flaring, while the remaining nine landfills do not receive enough waste to be considered for either energy recovery or flaring. The total amount of LFG emissions was found to be 1.6 billion M3 of LFG, while the landfill energetic potential of the recovered LFG was estimated to be 34.8 MW. On the other hand, GHG mitigation potential was assessed between the years 2020 and 2030, which was found to be 18 million ton CO2 eq. The proposed LFG energy recovery projects will lead to increased biogas contribution to Jordan’s local renewable energy mix from a current level of 1% to 6%.

Photovoltaic Solar Cells and Panels Waste in Jordan: Figures, Facts, and Concerns

Even though the Kingdom of Jordan is moving in the right direction and adopting clean energy sources such as PV plants, the waste problem will eventually emerge within a few decades and will be an overwhelming issue if not addressed early on. According to reports, the installed PV capacity worldwide was around 410 GW in 2017 and is projected to increase to 5000 GW by 2050. Global solar PV waste is anticipated to reach between 5% and 15% of total generation capacity by 2030, with a 25-year average panel lifespan. This study aims to provide an estimation of the amount of PV waste expected within the next decade, and finally expand on the economic and environmental effects. Moreover, this paper’s target is to explore the possible effects of PV waste materials in the northern part of Jordan, and the obtained results can be applied to other regions in Jordan. Information about renewable energy in Jordan, retrieved from databases of electricity companies, is utilized to reach an accurate estimation of the amounts of materials that will occur at the end of life. The solar PV panel end of life (EOL) management is a developing field that necessitates additional research and development The obtained findings, figures, and facts about the photovoltaic solar energy sector presented in this study highlight the urgency to develop a suitable system for the collection and management of photovoltaic modules at their end of life.

Energy and economic potential for photovoltaic systems installed on the rooftop of apartment buildings in Jordan

Photovoltaic systems installed on building rooftops can assist in reducing the issue of increasing electricity demand and simultaneously meeting the demand for environmentally sustainable energy systems. Despite the challenges facing Jordan's energy sector and the necessity of incorporating renewable resources to mitigate the effects of climate change and growing electricity demands, no one has yet analyzed the electricity output and economic viability of installing PV systems on the rooftops of apartment buildings in Jordan under different climate zones. Accordingly, this study aims to determine whether installing PV systems on apartment building rooftops in Jordan's various climate areas would be economically feasible and determine the potential power generation from such systems over their lifetime (25 years). Polysun simulation software is utilized to calculate electricity production, and a comparison method is used to assess the electricity consumption and production, and to compare the economic viability based on a payback period and net present value indicators under different tariff schemes. Scenarios are different in the tilt angles, azimuth angles, space between arrays, and accordingly different capacity and installation areas. The results indicated that electricity production from PV systems installed on the rooftops of apartment buildings can cover in the best scenario (Azimuth 90° and −90°, Tilt: 7°), depending on the location of the buildings, from 76% to 86% of their current electricity use and 25%–29% over 25 years. The Payback period (PBP) in the same case is between 3.8 and 4.6 years under different tariff schemes, which consider reasonable. While the net present value (NPV) is between 62,000$ and 77,500$ under different tariff schemes. According to the findings, residential PV systems are a practical choice for Jordan's energy management.

Smart Meters Rollout in Jordan: Opportunities, Business Models, Challenges, and Recommendations

Jordan's energy demand is growing steadily due to many factors ranging from the growing population, to the needed energy for heating, cooling, desalination, and industry (Azzuni et al., 2020). EMRC has stated a new electricity tariff starting from April 2022. The high cost of electricity bill in Jordan with fixed tariff has resulted the need to have a dynamic tariff to transform energy use that lead to demand reductions, a shift in peak demand, a better management of distribution networks, in addition to reductions in operation costs. A full transition towards smart meters in Jordan is one of the main pillars to achieve a compatible smart grid system that will be a great solution to sustain the energy security. Also, it will lead to flatness the demand profile which will have economic consequences by reducing the cost of electricity generation. The current status of smart meters’ rollout, the optimal business model, challenges, and awareness towards energy strategies and smart meters deployment in Jordan have been investigated. It has been found that the optimal business model for the Jordanian market is a hybrid model of DGC and EaaS models. Also, a set of opportunities and recommendations have been concluded.

Islamic Banks Financing for Solar Projects in Jordan Reality and Ways of Activation

This study aimed at discussing the Barriers of Islamic banks financing for solar energy projects in Jordan, and to indicate the appropriate ways to activate the financing of Islamic banks for solar energy projects and proposing suitable financing methods by Islamic banks for solar energy projects. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive approach and the analytical method were used. The study was divided into four main sections: solar energy and the requirements of investment in it, Islamic banks and the investment in solar energy in Jordan, financing of solar projects in Jordan and activating the role of Islamic banks in financing solar energy projects in Jordan.The study founded that the sources of funding were limited to external grants, government funding and funding from private external sources. It founded that there were challenges to financing these projects, such as the high risk of these projects, and the lack of real encouragement for investment by energy sector actors. In order to activate the role of Islamic banks, it was necessary to emphasize the role of Islamic banks in financing development, in addition to enhancing the expected returns from solar energy, not to mention activating the role of the government in providing the appropriate investment, projects' environment. The study suggested a range of financing methods suitable for the solar sector, such as Murabaha, Musharaka, Mudaraba, Leasing, Istisna'a, repurchase agreements, asset backed securities and the establishment of investment funds to finance solar projects.

Investigation of the energy output from PV panels based on using different orientation systems in Amman-Jordan

Energy problems are considered as one of the most important problems facing the world, and Jordan in particular. Jordan relies mostly on traditional energy, and recently it has turned to alternative energy sources to cover its energy needs. Solar energy in Jordan is the most promising and abundant renewable energy source, as Jordan has at least 320 sunny days with high solar radiation rates in a range of 4–8 kWh/m2. In this study, a comparison of photoelectric cells with different combinations and arrangements (portrait and landscape) was made, and the effect of these installations on energy production was studied in order to select the best combination for the future installations. The study shows that the landscape arrangement is better in terms of energy production comparing to the portrait arrangement as the energy production was 2447 and 2111 kWh/year respectively with a 13.7% increment in the energy production for the landscape arrangement over the portrait arrangement.

USING ADSORPTION CHILLER IN SOLAR COOLING: ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR JORDAN

Jordan has been facing a rigorous economic problem related to the high cost of energy. One of the main reasons is the cost of subsiding imported fuels to produce electricity for its domestic uses. The importation of energy represents more than 10% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) despite it has plentiful resources of renewable energy that can cover all its needs from electrical energy, while the national resources of energy in Jordan cover only 3-4% of the country's energy needs. This study investigates the potential of using the technology of Cooling Air by Solar Energy (CASE) for Air-conditioning applications to minimize the consumption of energy in Jordan. The main objectives of this work are to provide an overview of different commercially available CASE technologies and analyze the economic feasibility of selected CASE technology. The study of the economic feasibility has been done on the CASE technologies used for four scenarios. Analysis of data collection and assessment of economic viability in comparison to conventional VCC was also investigated. The results showed the relevance of the economic feasibility with the cost of electricity tariff, it also showed that the use of this device is feasible at a high electricity tariff; while there is a high risk on feasibility at a low electricity tariff.Keywords: adsorption chillers; vapor compression chillers; economic feasibilityJEL Classifications: C54, Q20, Q43, Q55DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11752

Dataset on Biomass Potential for Environmental Protection to Generate Energy in Jordan from Olives and Other Biomasses and Review of Biomass Energy Conversion Technologies

Dataset on Biomass Potential for Environmental Protection to Generate Energy in Jordan from Olives and Other Biomasses and Review of Biomass Energy Conversion Technologies

The impact of integration of solar farms on the power losses, voltage profile and short circuit level in the distribution system

This paper introduces a study of utilizing solar energy farm that is integrated with the national grid based on intensive data availability of solar energy in Jordan. The study discusses the impact and the ability of integrating solar farms into the national grid of Jordan. The study considerd different cases and, various power system studies for connection points of solar farms to medium voltage networks. Among these studies are short circuit level, voltage profile and power losses. The main objective of the study is to analyze impacts of integration of solar farms on distribution systems of the chosen areas. Photovoltaic (PV) system with varying penetration levels are integrated at different locations (connection points) into the distribution network. Calculations are performed and models are built using actual data obtained from the Jordanian power grid with PV interconnection. The effect of the short circuit level, voltage profile and power losses in the distribution system are also analyzed. Finally, the most suitable method of connecting the solar farm to the national power network is recommended.