SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
In the context of Sustainable MED Cities project, the City of Irbid has developed its own SBTool (sustainable building tool) and an SNTool (Sustainable Neighbourhood Tool) for measuring the current sustainability level of the Al-Nozha neighbourhood and of two buildings belonging to that area. Through the application of the Sustainable MED Cities Decision-Making methodology, they have identified the optimal package of interventions to improve the sustainability of the area and the buildings assessed.
Tags: sustainability assessment, decision-making, methodology
The retrofit concept identified by the City of Irbid, namely the “Smart Energy Scenario towards Future” is a comprehensive plan that promotes renewable energy to tackle climate issues and reduce carbon emissions, incorporating technological advancement, community involvement, and green practices to effectively tackle climate change and contribute towards creating sustainable and liveable neighborhoods. Indeed, it foresees:
Project type
Capitalization project implemented in the framework of ENI CBC Med Program
Partnership
Lead beneficiary: Secretary of Urban Agenda and Territory – Ministry of the Vice-presidency, Digital Policies and Territory, Spain, Cataluña.
Partner 1: iiSBE Italia R&D S.r.l. – I.S. Italy
Partner 2: Municipality of Sousse, Tunisia
Partner 3: Moukhtara Municipality, Lebanon.
Partner 4: Greater Irbid Municipality, Jordan,
Partner 5: Management Unit of Special Account for Research, NATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF ATHENS, Greece
ASSOCIATED PARTNERS
Associate 1: United Nations Environment Programme – Mediterranean Action Plan Coordinating Unit – Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Greece.
Associate 2: Asociación MedCities y/o MedCités, Spain.
Funding
Total budget: € 0.7 million.
EU contribution: € 0.6 million.
Project co-financing: 15%.
Implementing period
October 2021 – December 20
Sustainable MED Cities project has provided Mediterranean municipalities with a system of innovative tools and methodologies aimed to enhance their capacity in implementing and monitoring efficient measures, plans and strategies to improve the sustainability of cities, neighbourhoods and buildings in relation to the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2016-2025. The SMC tools and methodologies developed in the project have been tested in three pilot case studies by the three partner municipalities: Irbid, Sousse and Moukhtara.
To prepare the optimal retrofitting concept for an urban area and single buildings a detailed decision-making methodology has been applied by the three cities.
The decision-making methodology is based on the use of the assessment tools SNTool, (urban scale) and SBTool (building scale). The process adopts a participatory approach to maximise the involvement of stakeholders in the preparation of the retrofit concept. The participatory approach follows the PGS methodology (Participatory Guarantee System).
The decision-making methodology is articulated in 7 consecutive steps, as follow:
Following the procedure, the Municipality of Irbid has prepared the optimal retrofitting concept for the city.
SCENARIO DEVELOPED
The Smart Energy Scenario towards Future is a comprehensive plan that promotes renewable energy to tackle climate issues and reduce carbon emissions. incorporating technological advancement, community involvement, and green practices to effectively tackle climate change and contribute towards creating sustainable and livable neighborhoods. The scenario outlines several initiatives with a total budget of 8.22 million Euros, including:
– The use of land and biodiversity to increase energy storage and efficiency.
– Implementing renewable energy sources such as EV batteries, EV motors, solar PV, and battery storage will provide affordable access to energy and promote clean and renewable energy sources.
– Improving energy efficiency savings by adopting green technology and insulation enforcement, funding energy storage projects, building a secure energy supply chain and encouraging the production of critical minerals.
– Water conservation through technology advancements, strategic planning and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Public Buildings – Active The application of active systems to improve energy efficiency and energy consumptions on most levels, including changing active mechanical and lighting systems and control devices and updating energy consuming appliances, in addition to introducing some renewable systems that could contribute to lowering energy consumption and increase the building’s adaptation to climate change.
Residential Buildings – Passive The application of passive systems to improve energy efficiency and energy consumption on most levels, including changing glazing systems, addition of insulation to avoid thermal bridges, and introducing shading devices. In addition to introducing some changes in the exposed surface materials that could contribute to lowering energy consumption and increase the building’s adaptation to climate change.
LESSON LEARNED AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVE