Some prospects of energy savings in buildings

The results of a recent survey on energy consumption in the residential sector of Jordan were used to evaluate energy conservation in residential buildings. Space heating accounts for 61% of the total residential energy consumption with kerosene as the most popular fuel used for heating. in light of the fact that only 5.7% of dwellings in Jordan's urban areas have been provided with wall insulation and none with roof thermal insulation, the heating loads were calculated for a typical single house using different insulation materials. It was shown that energy savings up to 76.8%;, can be achieved when polystyrene is used for both wall and roof insulation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.