Innovative Construction and Petrochemical Technologies

Al-Shirqat – Iraq Reducing Energy Demand in Iraq Buildings Using Shallow Geothermal

2026-07-14T09:06:56+00:00

This study presents an economic and environmental assessment of a proposed shallow geothermal heating system for building applications under local climatic conditions in Iraq. The analysis was carried out for a room with a total heating load of 905 W, with the performance of the geothermal system compared with two conventional alternatives, namely: a fossil-fuel-based heating system and a direct electric heating system. The total electrical input power of the geothermal system included both the heat pump power and the auxiliary fan power, in order to reach a more realistic economic evaluation. The assessment relied on economic and environmental indicators including annual energy consumption, annual operating cost, life cycle cost, annualized cost, unit thermal energy cost, annual savings, and direct carbon dioxide emissions. The results showed that the geothermal system required a total electrical power of 340.67 W, and an annual electrical energy consumption of 2486.87 kWh/year. By adopting an electricity price of 0.18 USD/kWh, the annual electricity cost reached 447.64 USD/year, while the total annual operating cost reached 496.54 USD/year. As for the conventional fuel-based system, its annual operating cost reached 645.79 USD/year, which led to achieving annual savings of 149.25 USD/year in favor of the geothermal system, with a reduction in operating cost of 23.11%. The annual energy cost difference between the geothermal system and the direct electric heating system also reached 741.53 USD/year. From the environmental point of view, the amount of direct emissions from the conventional system reached approximately 1.41 ton CO₂/year, whereas the geothermal system produced no direct combustion emissions at the point of use. The results confirm that the proposed geothermal system represents an economically and environmentally applicable alternative in building heating applications under local conditions.

The Use of Data in Improving The Customer Experience: A Field Study at K-Card Iraq

2026-07-25T22:59:47+00:00

The aim of this research was to determine the nature of the impact of big data on improving the customer experience at K-Card Digital Services. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, the research population comprised the general management of K-Card, with a sample of 80 employees whose views were surveyed using a questionnaire; the data were analysed using the SPSS V27 statistical package. The study concluded that there is a strong positive impact of big data on improving the customer experience at the company under study, Several recommendations were put forward, the most important of which was the need to provide organisational support to integrate the requirements of the transition towards utilising big data. This can be achieved by establishing departments and units specialising in its digital and technological aspects, which provide studies and information on the services offered by the company and the extent of customer satisfaction with them.

The Impact of Psychological Capital on Enhancing Proactive Behavior among Employees: An Analytical Study in Iraqi Commercial Banks

2026-07-26T02:42:52+00:00

The present research aims to examine the impact of psychological capital on improving proactive behavior of employees working in Iraqi commercial banks. Psychological capital has been measured based on four factors which include self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience whereas proactive behavior has been defined by four dimensions which consist of taking initiative, problem prevention, opportunity seeking, and constructive voice. Descriptive-analytical method has been adopted for collecting information by using a questionnaire. The sample included 300 employees from selected Iraqi commercial banks in Baghdad. Data analysis has been conducted by using SPSS including descriptive statistics, Cronbach's Alpha, Pearson Correlation, and regression analyses. It has been found that the participants had moderate scores regarding psychological capital and proactive behavior. In addition, positive and statistically significant correlation coefficients have been found between dimensions of psychological capital and those of proactive behavior. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that dimensions of psychological capital had a statistically significant effect on dimensions of proactive behavior. Resilience and hope had been the most influential predictors of proactive behavior while the effects of self-efficacy and optimism varied among proactive behavior dimensions. This research proves that psychological capital is an important psychological resource which can help in taking initiative, problem prevention, opportunity seeking, and constructive voice.