Assessment of the effect of living wall systems on the improvement of the urban heat island phenomenon

Shafiee, Elham; Faizi, Mohsen; Yazdanfar, Seyed Abbas; Khanmohammadi, Mohammadali

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106923

Cited by 56 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The thermal performance of buildings could be improved by implementing some passive strategies. Several studies have confirmed that the application of shading devices [56], higher thermal mass materials [44,61] incorporation of vegetation [67] and higher insulation value [43], could help to mitigate the UHI effect and reduce the energy demand of buildings. In the case of this building, we recommend the implementation of a shading device system that can be operated accordingly during summer and winter based on the prevailing heat conditions.…”

Section: Simulation Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Impact of the Envelope System on Thermal Energy Demand in Hospital Buildings

2020

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Construction materials and systems for the thermal building envelope have played a key role in the improvement of energy efficiency in buildings. Urban heat islands together with the upcoming rising global temperature demand construction solutions that are adapted to the specific microclimate conditions. These circumstances are even more dramatic in the case of healthcare buildings where the need to preserve constant indoor temperatures is a priority for the proper recovery of patients. A new neonatal hospital, located in Madrid (Spain), has been monitored, and building energy simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the building envelope on the energy demand. Based on the simulation results, the design of the building envelope was found to be insufficiently optimised to properly protect the building from the external heat flow. This is supported by the monitored results of the indoor temperatures, which went over the standard limit for about 50% of the hours, achieving up to 27 °C in June and July, and 28 °C in August. The results showed, on one hand, that solar radiation gains transmitted through the façade have an important impact on the indoor temperature in the analysed rooms. Heat gains through the opaque envelope showed an average of 8.37 kWh/day, followed by heat gains through the glazing with an average value of 5.29 kWh/day; while heat gains from lighting and occupancy were 5.21 kWh/day and 4.47 kWh/day, respectively. Moreover, it was shown that a design of the envelope characterised by large glass surfaces and without solar protection systems, resulted in excessive internal thermal loads that the conditioning system was not able to overcome.

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Section: Simulation Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Impact of the Envelope System on Thermal Energy Demand in Hospital Buildings

2020

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“…By now, more than 50% of the people live in cities. This percentage is expected to grow, and by 2030, it may reach 60% [1,2]. For Hungary, this value is close to 70%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Windows were generally designed in 2 × 3 or 2 × 4 divisions. At the end of the 19th century, the box-type of window with only inward-opening sashes gained ground ( Figure 1), and were built into a 1 2 brick-width stepped wall reveals. There was an arched or straight vault above the window opening, where iron beams were used as a lintel in the last third of the century.…”

Section: Energy Conscious Reconstruction Of a Box-type Windowmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For Hungary, this value is close to 70%. As a result of this change in the pattern of life, with the disturbance in the ecological structure, existing green spaces are gradually removed, affecting the urban climate and creating an unfavorable phenomenon [1,3,4]. Urban heat islands (UHIs) occur in cities, where the air and surface temperatures are higher than in the surrounding rural areas [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Façades in Solar Energy Utilization

Horn

Terjék

2020

Buildings

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During the summer, the environmental impact of building operations can be reduced by optimizing ventilation and preventing heat from entering the building. Shades are used to create a comfortable temperature state in interiors without operating mechanical equipment or using low-power systems. The most significant factor in reducing energy consumption would be if the spatial delimitation of buildings utilizes solar energy in a passive or active way. At the same time, limiting the energy entering through windows reduces the temperature of interiors and the amount of energy used for cooling; thus, the phenomenon of the urban heat island would be less exacerbated. In the case of existing historical buildings, there are limited possibilities to reduce the energy consumption of the building and to protect the buildings against excessive summer heating, especially in connection with the structural appearance of the doors and windows on the façade. This paper presents the preparation of a large-scale reconstruction project based on a newly developed combined window that can significantly reduce indoor summer overheating. Designing steps of the complex retrofitting of a traditional box-type window are highlighted based on the results of closely connected literature pertaining to thermal, ventilation, shading, and acoustical phenomena. The result is a detailed structural and technological design of the reconstruction for the historical window in a combined way, as the frame, glazing, ventilation, and shading are simultaneously developed and calculated approximately; moreover, active shading is integrated. One aim of this desktop study was to demonstrate that in the case of historical buildings, it is possible and necessary to reduce heat losses during the heating season and to minimize the risk of summer overheating, and to show that the surface of the façade could be converted into an energy producer.

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“…In recent years, designers have promoted the idea of incorporating plants into building envelopes to address ecological [5][6][7], aesthetic [8] and energy aspects [9][10][11]. Additional advantages of these solutions include their ability to reduce stormwater runoff [12][13][14], filter out harmful particulate matter and greenhouse gases [15,16], restore biodiversity [17,18], and mitigate the urban heat island effect [19][20][21]. Note, however, that whereas green roofs have been actively promoted from the standpoint of building engineering, green walls have received much less attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unsteady Coupled Moisture and Heat Energy Transport through an Exterior Wall Covered with Vegetation

2021

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A mathematical model that governs unsteady coupled moisture and heat energy transport through an exterior wall covered with vegetation is described. The unknown temperature and moisture content of the plants and canopy air are represented by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The transport of moisture and heat through the support structure, which includes insulation and soil layers, is defined in a series of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). After setting out the model, this article presents and discusses a set of numerical applications. First, a simplified system consisting of a brick wall covered with climbing vegetation is used to study the role of individual variables (e.g., wind speed, minimum stomatal internal leaf resistance, leaf area index, and short-wave extinction coefficient) on the hygrothermal behaviour of the green wall. Thereafter, more complex green wall systems comprising a bare concrete wall, mortar, cork-based insulation (ICB), soil and vegetation are used to evaluate the influence of the thermal insulation and substrate layers on the heat flux distribution over time at the interior surface of the wall, and on the evolution of the relative humidity, water content, and temperature throughout the cross section of the green wall. The numerical experiments proved that vegetation can effectively reduce exterior facade surface temperatures, heat flux through the building envelope and daily temperature fluctuations.

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Assessment of the effect of living wall systems on the improvement of the urban heat island phenomenon

Cited by 56 publications

References 54 publications

Evaluation of the Impact of the Envelope System on Thermal Energy Demand in Hospital Buildings

Evaluation of the Impact of the Envelope System on Thermal Energy Demand in Hospital Buildings

The Role of Façades in Solar Energy Utilization

Unsteady Coupled Moisture and Heat Energy Transport through an Exterior Wall Covered with Vegetation

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