© 2022 IIETA. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
OPEN ACCESS
Green infrastructures inside cities represent an effective strategy to face with the increasingly urgent environmental problems. Green systems applied to building envelope are among the most applicable and useful solutions. These provide many significant advantages at different scales. Green façades (GF) are a typology of vertical green systems, applied to the vertical components of the building envelope. GF allow to save energy for air conditioning, by improving the envelope thermal performances. Energy behaviour of GF has been more deeply studied in warm periods, than in cold ones. This paper aims to analyse wintertime energy performances of GF. Evaluations were carried out based on the experimental data collected on two GF, in Bari (Italy), under mediterranean climatic conditions. The experimental set-up included also a bare wall (BW), used as control. The heating effect provided by the greenery was pointed out through statistical and energy analyses. At night-time, the covered walls (CW) were warmer than the bare one up to 3.5°c. The dependence of night-time heating effect on microclimate parameters, as external air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, was studied. External air temperature was found to be the most influencing factor: as it dropped, the heating effect increased. Overall energy transfer through the CW was lower than through the BW at night-time. The long-wave infrared energy radiative losses were reduced thanks to the green layer, which acted as a thermal barrier. These findings proved that GF improve winter night-time thermal performance by reducing energy losses.
energy saving, energy transfer, green infrastructure, heating effect, thermal barrier, vertical greening
[1] T he World’s Cities in 2018—Data Booklet (ST/ESA/SER.A/417); United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2018.
[2] UNCTAD , Total and urban population, annual. See https://unctadstat.unctad.org.https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=97, 2021. Accessed on: 24 Sept. 2021.
[3] M anso, M., Teotónio, I., Matos Silva, C. & Oliveira Cruz, C., Green roof and green wall benefits and costs: a review of the quantitative evidence. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 135, 110111, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110111
[4] C astiglia Feitosa, R. & Wilkinson S.J., Small-scale experiments of seasonal heat stress attenuation through a combination of green roof and green walls. Journal of Cleaner Production, 250, 119443, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119443
[5] T ransforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1); United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development, 2015.
[6] N orton, B.A., Coutts, A.M., Livesley, S.J., Harris, R.J., Hunter, A.M. & Williams, N.S.G., Planning for cooler cities: a framework to prioritise green infrastructure to mitigate high temperatures in urban landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning, 134, pp. 127–138, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.10.018
[7] C onvertino, F., Blanco, I., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Schettini, E. & Vox, G., Energy behaviour of the green layer in green façades. Acta Horticulturae, 1296, pp. 723–730, 2020a. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1296.91
[8] C onvertino, F., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Schettini, E. & Vox, G., Heat fluxes in a green façade system: mathematical relations and an experimental case. In: Coppola, A., Di Renzo, G., Altieri, G. & D’Antonio, P. (eds), Innovative Biosystems Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 67, pp. 189–197, 2020b. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39299-4_21
[9] D e Salvador, F.R., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Vox, G., Schettini, E., Mastrorilli, M. & Bou Jaoudé, M., Innovative photoselective and photoluminescent plastic films for protected cultivation. Acta Horticulturae, 801, PART 1, pp. 115–121, 2008. https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2008.801.7
[10] Šuklje, T., Medved, S. & Arkar, C., On detailed thermal response modeling of verticalgreenery systems as cooling measure for buildings and cities in summer conditions. Energy, 115, pp. 1055–1068, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENERGY.2016.08.095
[11] T eitel, M., Diurnal energy-partitioning and transpiration modelling in an insect-proof screenhouse with a tomato crop. Biosystems Engineering, 160, pp. 170–178, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2017.05.008
[12] Koch, K., Ysebaert, T., Denys, S. & Samson, R., Urban heat stress mitigation potential of green walls: a review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 55, 126843, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126843
[13] B esir, A.B. & Cuce, E., Green roofs and facades: a comprehensive review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82(1), pp. 915–939, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.09.106
[14] C onvertino, F., Vox, G. & Schettini, E., Heat transfer mechanisms in vertical green systems and energy balance equations. International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, 14(1), pp. 7–18, 2019a. https://doi.org/10.2495/DNE-V14-N1-7-18
[15] C onvertino, F., Vox, G. & Schettini, E., Convective heat transfers in green façade systems. Biosystems Engineering, 188, pp. 67–81, 2019b. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.10.006
[16] C onvertino, F., Vox, G. & Schettini, E., Thermal barrier effect of green façades: longwave infrared radiative energy transfer modelling. Building and Environment, 177, 106875, pp 1–20, 2020c. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106875
[17] C ampiotti, C.A., Schettini, E., Alonzo, G., Viola, C., Bibbiani, C., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Blanco, I. & Vox, G., Building green covering for a sustainable use of energy. Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 44, art. no. e50, pp. 253–256, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4081/jae.2013.292
[18] M edl, A., Stangl, R. & Florineth, F., Vertical greening systems – a review on recent technologies and research advancement. Building and Environment, 125, pp. 227–239, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.08.054
[19] L ee, L.S.H. & Jim, C.Y., Transforming thermal-radiative study of a climber green wall to innovative engineering design to enhance building-energy efficiency. Journal of Cleaner Production, 224, pp. 892–904, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.278
[20] Pérez, G., Coma, J., Martorell, I. & Cabeza, L.F., Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS ) for energy saving in buildings: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 39, pp. 139–165, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.07.055
[21] B lanco, I., Schettini, E. & Vox, G., Predictive model of surface temperature difference between green façades and uncovered wall in Mediterranean climatic area. Applied Thermal Engineering, 163, 114406, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2019.114406
[22] T udiwer, D. & Korjenic, A., The effect of living wall systems on the thermal resistance of the façade. Energy and Buildings, 135, pp. 10–19, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.11.023
[23] Peng, L.L.H., Jiang, Z., Yang, X., Wang, Q., He, Y. & Chen, S.S., Energy savings of block-scale facade greening for different urban forms. Applied Energy, 279, 115844, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115844
[24] S usorova, I., Azimi, P. & Stephens, B., The effects of climbing vegetation on the local microclimate, thermal performance, and air infiltration of four building facade orientations. Building and Environment, 76, pp. 113–124, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.03.011
[25] V ox, G., Blanco, I., Fuina, S., Campiotti, C.A., Scarascia Mugnozza, G. & Schettini, E., Evaluation of wall surface temperatures in green facades. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Engineering Sustainability, 170(6), pp. 334–344, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jensu.16.00019
[26] C onvertino, F., Heat transfer modelling in green façades. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, vol. 243, WIT Press, pp. 57–68, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2495/UA 200061
[27] V ox, G., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Blanco, I. & Schettini, E., Heat fluxes in green walls. Acta Horticulturae, 1215, pp. 273–278, 2018. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.49
[28] S chettini, E., Campiotti, C.A., Scarascia Mugnozza, G., Blanco, I. & Vox, G., Green walls for building microclimate control. Acta Horticulturae, 1215, pp. 73–76, 2018. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.13
[29] C ameron, R.W.F., Taylor, J. & Emmett, M., A Hedera green façade – energy performance and saving under different maritime-temperate, winter weather conditions. Building and Environment, 92, pp. 111–121, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.04.011
[30] B lanco, I, Convertino, F., Schettini, E. & Vox, G., Wintertime thermal performance of green façades in a Mediterranean climate. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, vol. 243, WIT Press, pp. 47–56, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2495/UA 200051
[31] B olton, C., Rahman, M.A., Armson, D. & Ennos, A.R., Effectiveness of an ivy covering at insulating a building against the cold in Manchester, U.K.: a preliminary investigation. Building and Environment, 80, pp. 32–35, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.05.020
[32] V ox, G., Blanco, I. & Schettini, E., Green façades to control wall surface temperature in buildings. Building and Environment, 129, pp. 154–166, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.12.002
[33] L i, D., Wang, Y., Wang, J., Wang, C., Duan, Y., Recent advances in sensor fault diagnosis: a review. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 309, 111990, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2020.111990
[34] Yang, J., Liu, Q., Chen, G., Deng, X., Optimized design and experimental validation of a temperature sensor for surface air temperature observation. Sensors and Actuators A:Physical, 323, 112646, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2021.112646
[35] M aclean, I.M.D., Duffy, J.P., Haesen, S., Govaert, S., De Frenne, P., Vanneste, T., Lenoir, J., Jonas, Lembrechts, J., Rhodes, M. W., Van Meerbeek. K., On the measurement of microclimate. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12, pp. 1397–1410, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13627
[36] Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B. & Rubel, F., World map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 15(3), pp. 259–263, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130