Identifying the Pathways Toward Zero Operational and Embodied Carbon Emissions for the Housing Stock in Jordan

Residential buildings in Jordan make up 72% of the total share of buildings. However, it is not yet a common practice to investigate Operational Carbon (OC) and Embodied Carbon (EC) of buildings following a holistic approach. This study aims to investigate the intricate relation between OC and EC to assess the feasibility of achieving net-zero carbon performance in dwellings in Jordan. First, the most common archetypes of residential buildings are identified. Next, thermal simulation is used to evaluate how these archetype dwellings might perform in terms of carbon emissions based on existing material and building services used in the construction supply chains. Finally, pathway scenarios to improve carbon footprint is investigated to find a set of technically feasible solutions for new buildings using a baseline defined for 2000s apartments archetype. The results show that implementing three levels of carbon emissions reduction measures can save up to 64% of annual OC and around 30% of EC compared against the baseline scenario.