Elle ButterworthI've been quiet on here whilst traveling around Jordan! Returning home yesterday in the snow with a 20 degree swing in temperature was quite a shock!
Some #energy reflections...
On #Renewables. Making up ~ 1/4 of Jordan's electricity. There were plenty of #solar panels and on shore #wind visible from the main highways. Also several houses had solar panels on their roof. Some houses were clearly "off grid" and Bedouin tents often had portable solar to charge small items like mobile phones.
Solar panel in photo is being used by Bedouin traders, escaping the heat of the midday sun in one of the old tombs in Petra.
But #supply side is is still dominated by fossil fuels in a country struggling with high levels of debt and unemployment.
Fuel prices are notable issue. Protests into their second week. Main roads would be blocked with large stones and fires set. The Government says price can't be capped any further due to debt deal with IMF.
Hybrids (Prius) were surprisingly popular and we saw many #EVs in Amman. But pickup trucks (Toyota Hilux) dominate rural areas due to road conditions.
And given the whole #systems approach we talk about at ESC, I can't not mention building regs. Or lack thereof. We saw some very spicy electrics, including on our shower room (photo).
Most houses look unfinished with metal bars sticking out of the concrete or a partially complete walls attached to them. This means the occupants can avoid paying property taxes as house unfinished but it has also created conditions that make energy efficiency and building regulations difficult to impose.
This extended out onto the roads. Street lights connected to the main grid had been rewired to houses. This must be a data consumption nightmare but also dangerous. Cables are everywhere with children running around and water leaks common.
The unaffordability of safe electricity has pushed some people to extreme limits to engage in the "modern" world. These more rural areas are recognising tourism as a huge economic driver. But tourists want electricity.
I found myself using far less energy than usual. The landscape is incredible so we spent most of our time climbing and hiking. Eating fantastic local food with our hosts in the evening and sleeping by 8pm some nights!
It's winter so locals were using portable heaters. We were fine with a few extra layers in the evenings!
We also couldn't access mobile internet for several days due to protests so didn't use our phones much either.
None of this impacted the fantastic experience we had!