Long-term monitoring of thermal comfort in three apartments in Jordan

Buildings account for over 34% of global energy consumption and up to one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. In Jordan, existing residential buildings make up 80% of the building stock and consume 44% of national electricity, primarily for indoor thermal comfort. However, their thermal performance remains poorly understood, hindering effective retrofitting. This study addresses this gap through a year-long monitoring of air temperature and relative humidity (RH) in key living spaces of three occupied apartments in Amman and Irbid. Results, evaluated against EN16798 standards, reveal prevalent underheating discomfort in winter and interseason periods, exacerbated by high RH levels. Despite significant heating use, maintaining thermal comfort proves challenging. Overheating, while less frequent, is observed and may become more pronounced in the future. Comparative analysis highlights the critical role of construction quality in buildings' thermal performance and energy demand. Moreover, the dataset generated from this study provides a crucial empirical foundation for the development of reliable energy models that enable more accurate assessments of energy and thermal performance and guide the design of optimized retrofitting strategies. The insights gained are relevant for Jordan and other regions sharing similar climatic, construction and cultural characteristics, supporting broader efforts towards sustainable residential buildings.