Category Archives: Energy

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Key to Affordable Housing

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To be affordable, houses must be designed and built embracing strong principles of sustainability. Ensuring houses are energy-efficient may increase up-front construction costs a bit, including the costs of superior tools and equipment and professional architectural and mechanical engineers services, but the long-term benefits and future cost-efficiency are what matters. Non-believers think that it is an oxymoron to combine the idea of sustainability and affordability. But, the fact is that when homeowners are able to spend less on their energy bills they can budget better for repairs and maintenance, which intrinsically improves the durability and longevity of their houses. In … Continue reading →

Energy-efficient Building Envelopes in Oman – A Study

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In Oman, extreme hot weather conditions and thermally inefficient building envelopes have led to high cooling loads in residential units. Residential buildings serve a smaller number of occupants per unit, when compared to other sectors in the building industry. Also, mechanical, electrical and other energy-intensive equipment are relatively lesser in quantity and complexity. Yet, as per statistics, the residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity in the industry. In Oman, the residential sector consumes most of the electricity produced, with over 70 % of the load contributed by cooling using air conditioners (Zurigat et al., 2003). A major reason … Continue reading →

Green Hydrogen: Global Dynamics, MENA Perspectives and Algeria’s Decarbonization Strategy

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Global energy systems are undergoing a structural transformation driven by the urgency of climate change mitigation, long-term sustainability concerns, and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The Paris Agreement and subsequent national commitments to carbon neutrality by mid-century have reinforced the necessity of deep and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the economy. Although renewable electricity generation—particularly solar photovoltaics and wind power—has expanded significantly over the past decade, the electrification of final energy demand faces intrinsic limitations in sectors characterized by high-temperature industrial processes, energy-dense fuels, and long-duration storage requirements [1]. Green hydrogen has … Continue reading →

Reasons Why LEDs are the Future of Sustainable Lighting

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You may well ask: Do LEDs now lead the way, light the way?  You may also ask: Are CFLs out? Perhaps those of us who have not changed need to change and here are the reasons why. It was not so long ago that I stood in the middle of the lighting aisle wondering which light bulb do I purchase. Which type is the most efficient? What about the range of prices being broader than the range of options. There were all kinds of options ranging from incandescent bulbs which were cheap but wasteful, compact fluorescents (CFLs) supposed to be … Continue reading →

Energy Transition in Algeria: Concrete Levers to Move from Ambition to Action

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Algeria stands at a critical energy crossroads. Long known as one of Africa’s leading producers and exporters of hydrocarbons, the country is now attempting to balance the twin imperatives of maintaining economic stability from oil and gas revenues while accelerating a shift to a cleaner, more diversified energy system. With global pressure to decarbonize mounting and domestic energy demand rising rapidly, Algeria’s energy transition is no longer just a vision, it is becoming a necessary strategic priority. But turning ambition into tangible results requires a careful blend of policy frameworks, incentives, partnerships, and effective implementation. Algeria’s renewable energy potential is … Continue reading →

The 31% Race: How Jordan Must Double Down on Distributed Solar to Win its Energy and Economic Future

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According to the 2024 energy balance report published by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) in Jordan, renewable sources supplied a record 26.9% of the nation’s 23.3 TWh electricity consumption. However, the underlying data reveals a more urgent story. Electricity consumption from 2020 to 2024 was 18.4, 19.3, 20.6, 21.8, and 23.3 TWh respectively as shown in the figure below, resulting in a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.07%—a pace expected to accelerate just as the country aims for a 31% renewable share by 2030. Achieving this target will require strategic action. Among the possible scenarios, one … Continue reading →

Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Arab Countries

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Addressing water scarcity, both natural and human-induced, in the Arab region is considered one of the major and most critical challenges facing the Arab countries. This challenge is expected to grow with time due to many pressing driving forces, including population growth, food demand, unsettled and politicized shared water resources, climate change, and many others, forcing more countries into more expensive water sources, such as desalination, to augment their limited freshwater supplies. The heavy financial, economic, environmental, as well as social costs and burden to be borne cannot be overemphasized. Furthermore, the water scarcity challenge in the Arab world is being … Continue reading →

How Electrical Contactors Reduce Power Loss in Modern Energy Systems

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Energy management has become a global priority as both consumers and industries work to reduce costs and improve system efficiency. Much of the conversation focuses on renewable sources or advanced automation platforms, yet some of the most meaningful savings happen at the component level—where electricity is controlled, switched, and distributed. One such device is the electrical contactor, a workhorse of modern power systems that quietly determines how efficiently your equipment uses energy. If you’ve ever wondered why some machines consume power even when idle, or how large facilities minimize unnecessary electrical waste, the answer often begins with understanding how contactors … Continue reading →

Energy Efficiency in the Arab World: Key Findings

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Energy efficiency is the most cost effective means of reducing the energy intensity of the economy and promoting a low-carbon future in the Arab world. Energy efficiency further helps Arab states meet their SDGs on combating climate change and its impacts (SDG13), as it cuts down on GHG emissions resulting from excessive and inefficient consumption of energy. Energy efficiency improvements can save governments, companies, and citizens billions of dollars in the Arab region from reduced energy bills, while at the same time quickly reducing carbon footprints – a win-win solution. Many countries in the region are now moving ahead with … Continue reading →

How Can Mediterranean Countries Resolve Energy Crisis in Europe

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Europe has been desperately trying to find alternative sources of energy to replace Russian gas. American Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports used today, is only a temporary solution and not a long-term one, due to its high costs and transport limitations. However, Algeria, Egypt, and possibly other transit nations like Libya and Turkey in the future can all contribute significantly to the continent’s increased energy demands. In the Eastern Mediterranean significant amounts of natural gas have recently been discovered recently and could increase gas collaborations with Europe. Algeria increased its pipeline supplies to Europe by over 10% on available export … Continue reading →

An Adaptive Refugee Camp Model for the Middle East

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Natural disasters and wars are two main reasons that force populations to leave their homes, which consequently push for an urgent need to provide temporary shelters or settlements as a disaster management plan. For many years, governments and aid agencies have worked on offering emergency relief camps. Solutions have ranged from short term to long-term shelters. Tents are the most common shelter structure used. However, studies show that the majority of current tent shelters do not satisfy comfort conditions for occupants and hardly satisfy privacy, hygiene and other social needs. They are also expensive to fabricate and deteriorate quickly. Several … Continue reading →

Thermal Technologies for MSW-to-Energy Conversion

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Thermal (or thermochemical) MSW-to-energy conversion systems consist of primary technologies which convert the municipal waste into heat or gaseous and liquid products, together with secondary conversion technologies which transform these products into more useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. A wide array of thermal waste-to-energy technologies are available to convert the energy stored in solid wastes into more useful forms of energy. These technologies can be classified according to the principal energy carrier produced in the conversion process. Energy carriers are in the form of heat, gas, liquid and/or solid products, depending on the extent to which … Continue reading →