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The ecosystem services of vertical greenery systems (VGSs) have attracted increasing research attention in recent decades. In addition to improving urban landscape esthetic and thermal comfort, VGSs also contribute to carbon (C) sequestration and CO2 uptake to mitigate climate change. In this study, the C storage and sequestration of six commonly used plant species (Coleus scutellarioides, Peperomia claviformis, Tradescantia spathacea, Duranta repens, Ficus elastica, and Heptapleurum heptaphyllum) in VGSs were determined over a year period. The C sequestration potential of the six plant species ranged from 60.6 to 248 g C m− 2 yr− 1, and T. spathacea was most effective in C sequestration. The net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of each plant species during different seasons were measured by using a portable chamber. The results revealed significant seasonal patterns in NEE, with peaking values occurring in summer. Additionally, the NEE values were higher for woody plants than for herbaceous plants. Correlation analysis indicated that the NEE of the VGSs was significantly affected by leaf area index (LAI), root biomass, and stomatal conductance. In addition, the indoor CO2 uptake rates of six plant species in VGSs were predicted under photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) = 200 and 450 µmol m− 2 s− 1. Among six plant species, H. heptaphyllum exhibited highest average indoor CO2 uptake rate throughout four seasons. Therefore, optimizing VGSs with woody plants featuring high NEE and biomass is critical for enhancing C sequestration and CO2 uptake within urban ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urban development, along with high population growth in Indonesia, has forced some communities to move away from the city center. At the same time, the city needs space for its waste, which is typically deposited in landfill sites. In both cases, the city outskirts have become favored sites for development. As a result, some communities now find themselves living adjacent to a landfill site and must cope with its air pollution. This study assesses the application of a vertical greenery system (VGS) acting as a microbial air quality filter for community houses located near the landfill site in Kampung Nambo in South Tangerang, Indonesia. Six types of plants were selected for analysis. The study found that Hedera helix was the most effective plant for filtering microbes from the air; the highest recording was reaching 717.3 CFU/m3 (day 10). The study also highlighted the presence of solar radiation, additional shading, and natural ventilation combined with the VGS help to improve air quality. Higher temperatures can reduce the microorganisms, thus impacting the number of bacteria and fungi. Every 1 W/m2 increase in solar radiation can reduce bacteria by 1.98 to 2.16 CFU/m3. Furthermore, the insights of this study should encourage both governmental decision-makers and the broader community to reexamine the importance of vertical greening in settlements adjacent to a landfill.

Rapid urban development, along with high population growth in Indonesia, has forced some communities to move away from the city center. At the same time, the city needs space for its waste, which is typically deposited in landfill sites. In both cases, the city outskirts have become favored sites for development. As a result, some communities now find themselves living adjacent to a landfill site and must cope with its air pollution. This study assesses the application of a vertical greenery system (VGS) acting as a microbial air quality filter for community houses located near the landfill site in Kampung Nambo in South Tangerang, Indonesia. Six types of plants were selected for analysis. The study found that Hedera helix was the most effective plant for filtering microbes from the air; the highest recording was reaching 717.3 CFU/m³ (day 10). The study also highlighted the presence of solar radiation, additional shading, and natural ventilation combined with the VGS help to improve air quality. Higher temperatures can reduce the microorganisms, thus impacting the number of bacteria and fungi. Every 1 W/m² increase in solar radiation can reduce bacteria by 1.98 to 2.16 CFU/m³. Furthermore, the insights of this study should encourage both governmental decision-makers and the broader community to reexamine the importance of vertical greening in settlements adjacent to a landfill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas have been significantly affected by climate change, leading to an increase in global temperatures. Nature-based solutions, including Vertical Greenery Systems (VGSs), are gaining increasing importance as means of mitigating the effects of climate change. Despite showing significant benefits, the adoption of VGS has been limited, primarily because of the high costs associated with it. This study assessed the economic feasibility of using VGSs to reduce the effects of climate change and enhance urban sustainability. 17 studies were evaluated in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to determine various costs, benefits, and economic indicators associated with VGS. Additionally, the net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period were thoroughly evaluated to gain insight into their long-term economic sustainability. The results show that, although the initial cost of VGS may be high, it can provide long-term financial benefits to building owners and operators through energy savings, increased property values, and reduced operational expenses. Nevertheless, the extended payback period and negative net present values for certain VGS types make them economically unsustainable. This review provides evidence-based guidelines and suggestions for the successful implementation of sustainable VGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greening of buildings' facades is not a new practice; it has been used since ancient times for protection and aesthetic purposes. Nowadays, the approach used towards the greening of facades has changed considerably. Vertical greenery systems (VGS) have been proposed as one of the innovative solutions to promote sustainable building functions. Present-day facade greenery not only offers traditional architectural potential but also incorporates advanced materials and technologies to adapt to the requirements of modern urban life. In recent years, the number of buildings that use this technology has increased considerably, and accordingly, the technology involved and the methods of application have changed to be in line with the new necessities. Various types of VGS have been introduced to provide users with a wider range of options that are applicable in different climates and conditions. As a result, different methods of VGS implementation have been adopted; however, there is no established standardization for VGS designs or their variations. Choosing the proper type of VGS is a crucial step in the decision-making process for VGS design. In this research, we provide an overview of the most significant existing classifications of vertical greenery systems and propose a comprehensive classification based on an analysis of their features and classification criteria. Moreover, influential factors in VGS design are investigated. This article presents a comprehensive framework for the sustainable design of vertical greenery systems by outlining the primary parameters that are crucial to identifying and selecting the most suitable type of VGS. The framework also incorporates design aspects, thus stressing the necessity of considering changes to attributes that could affect the overall functionality of a VGS and, as a result, impact the decision-making process. The results of this study provide a valuable resource to systematically study greenery systems, and their parameters, and also to make informed decisions that are aligned with current the sustainability objectives of future research in terms of cost, energy consumption, and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green wall systems have been introduced all over the world as a sustainable solution to combat the hot environment inside buildings and provide thermal comfort by improving the thermal efficiency of the buildings. This study aims to find out whether green walls can be used to manage the inside thermal conditions of Aqaba buildings. It is intended to lessen the impact of Aqaba's harsh warm climate on internal building spaces and achieve a thermal comfort level. A physical live experiment was used to detect the thermal impact of green walls on internal spaces. The thermal performances of two identical real-scale test rooms, one of which had a fixed green facade, were compared. This study concludes that green facades have a significant potential to promote buildings' thermal behaviour in the hot summer of Aqaba and thermally similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas have been greatly affected by climate change, leading to a rise in global temperatures. Vertical Greenery Systems (VGSs) are becoming increasingly important as a means of mitigating the effects of climate change. This research assessed the economic feasibility of VGSs to reduce the effects of climate change and enhance urban sustainability. Seventeen studies were evaluated in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to determine the various costs, benefits, and economic indicators associated with VGS. Furthermore, the net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period were thoroughly evaluated to gain insight into their long-term economic sustainability. The results show that, even though the initial cost of VGS may be high, it can provide long-term financial advantages to building owners and operators through energy savings, increased property values, and decreased operational expenses. Nevertheless, the extended payback period and negative net present values for certain VGS types make them financially unsustainable. The purpose of this review is to help create evidence-based guidelines and suggestions for the successful implementation of sustainable VGS.

Vertical greenery system (VGS) is a sustainable solution to promote building energy saving and emission reduction, mitigate the urban heat island effect, as well as a crucial component of urban ecological construction. We summarized four main mechanisms of the thermal effects of VGSs, including shading effect, evapotranspiration effect, thermal insulation effect, and wind control effect. We elucidated the effects of VGSs on building cooling and energy saving, and analyzed the cooling effects of VGSs on plant canopy and outdoor ambient air, as well as their influence on mitigating the urban heat island effect. Based on available research on the thermal effects of VGSs, we identified key directions for future research, aiming to expedite the development of green cities and achieve carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In medium-rise office building on tropical climate, façade fenestration mostly dominated by glass curtain wall. In this case, an effort should be done to control the daylight penetration and to shade glare of low sun angle especially from west orientation. The idea is utilized the vertical greenery system (VGS) on facade opening, how it performs as glare limitation as well as accommodating view. Firstly, the variable of artificial shading to light parameter are studied. Then, the previous research of VGS were explored, to find its influential variables. The last step was developed recommendation of VGS implementation on office facade opening to improve light quality. Finding from the study, the most influential variables are the plant species suitable to the climate condition, its canopy leaves area as light variable, and the placement; an integration the plants construction system with other facade elements which consider light angles of incidence and viewer’s sightlines.

Natural light is abundant in tropical climates and advantageous for incorporating daylighting into building designs. However, this daylight intensity often leads to excessive brightness indoors, specifically in high-rise buildings with glass façades. In addressing sustainability concerns, incorporating greenery outside glass façades can effectively shade and alleviate eyestrain for building occupants. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of plant leaves in reducing the high light intensity on glass facades. An experiment was conducted using the Vernonia elliptica plant, which thrives in medium to high sunlight in tropical climates. Three different leaf area indexes (LAI) were examined in this study as the independent variables, while light illuminance and luminance served as the dependent variables. Two identical box models measuring 1 m × 1 m × 1 m were utilized for the experiment. The two models were oriented towards the west and north, representing intense and longer light exposure. The first, the base case, featured a glass façade without any other additional element, whereas the other incorporated greenery on its glass façade. The obtained results indicated that the impact of leaf density on illuminance and luminance is significant, specifically when the LAI is doubled. It was also found that denser foliage with longer leaf strands produced better results, specifically at low altitudes. These results can be used to implement vertical greenery shading in high-rise office buildings.

Copyright of PARC Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Construção is the property of Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Portal de Periodicos Eletronicos Cientificos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing of ambient temperature due to global warming has a direct impact on increasing the room temperature. Heat from surrounding is transferred to building wall and room. By installing the Vertical Greenery System (VGS) on the building wall, it can be an alternative for heat absorber and eco-friendly indicator. The aims of this study are to determine the temperature that can be reduced by VGS type Green Façade (GF) and achieve the energy consumption reduction because of GF installation. GF is installed on the building wall, property of Mining Engineering Department, Sriwijaya University, to measure its temperature, then compare it with the temperature on control wall. The results showed that the GF can reduce the room temperature up to 1,2oC, compared to the control wall and the average is 0,3oC. The decrease in average temperature causes a decrease in energy consumption due to the use of air conditioners by 1.56-1.92%.

The promotion of Climate Literacy is a central concern of our time. To achieve this ability, one can draw on different content areas. One possible area is Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), such as Vertical Greening Systems (VGS), and their effectiveness in mitigating climate change. However, VGS is not yet an established topic in environmental education, even if the pro-environmental effectiveness of VGS has been proven from a scientific point of view and this topic is close to everyday life. To facilitate the transfer of knowledge from research to school, this paper presents an example of a possible procedure. This procedure starts with a narrative review of the scientific literature on VGS. Then, the main results of this review are related to the Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Literacy, and general educational goals to capture its educational relevance. Finally, a flow chart for a teaching sequence is developed, with the phase sequence derived from the performed narrative review. Thus, a parallelism between the structure of a scientific review and an action-oriented environmental education becomes visible. To what extent this parallelization may be generalized, and whether teaching based on it is effective, will have to be tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical greenery system (VGS) has drawn a considerable attention over the past decades as a strategical element of urban landscape. Implementation of this system contributes to the achievement of a harmonious relationship between the built and natural environment, as well as to the abatement of pollution and improvement of the quality of environment. This paper presents study of typology of a vertical greenery system, and propose typical models formed according to a previously derived classification system.

Copyright of Düzce University Journal of Forestry / Düzce Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Ormancılık Dergisi is the property of Duzce University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rapid development in developing countries causes decreasing in the green area which leads to the environmental problem. Increasing heat transfer in the building envelope push more energy, especially for air conditioning. Although vertical greenery system is not a new concept, however, the building planners do not use it as one of an alternative design for energy saving yet. This paper will present a study on the office building with vertical greenery system as a building envelope in the tropical area, Indonesia. Data collection was done during summer time, in October 2013. There is two data analysis, based on the field measurement and Ecotect simulation. The result indicates that during data measurement at 05.00 a.m - 06.00 p.m. chamber with vertical greenery system has cooler surface temperatures and smaller in heat transfer. The peak temperatures of the exterior and interior facade with vertical greenery system are 29.13°C and 25.41°C, respectively. While for bare wall facade are 32.30°C for exterior facade and 30.79°C for the interior facade. The results from the study proved that applying vertical greenery system on the building facade can reduce the heat transfer from the exterior facade to the interior facade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor vertical greenery systems (iVGSs) are usually linked to drawbacks such as high initial investment and maintenance costs, and possible damage to buildings. Plants may attract insects and mosquitoes, and some release excessive pollen if indoors. Moss gardening might be an alternative solution because bryophytes are environment friendly in conserving water, controlling erosion, filtering hazardous chemicals and rainwater, and sequestering carbon. The aim of this study is to develop a Moss-iVGS design protocol by considering the characteristics of a Moss-iVGS prototype, foliage thickness, and the influence of lighting on moss cultivation in the tropics. A mixed approach combining experiments and a questionnaire survey was adopted. Results show that Moss-iVGS can withstand 45 days of drought without any water supply or regular maintenance. The moss was able to absorb moisture from humid air to maintain its survival. Moss is abundant in nature, easy to maintain, has high aesthetic value, and has numerous environmental benefits in the long run. Conventional VGS drawbacks could be possibly solved or mitigated by Moss-iVGS. Not limited to a pattern, Moss-iVGS could have various types of design such as moss tile and moss carpet for indoor use. Different species of moss could be tested in various indoor environments in a further study to assist commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Traffic-generated particulate matter (PM) pollution is a serious threat to human health and the environment, especially in urban settings. Recent studies have revealed the effectiveness of living walls in the reduction of this pollution; these systems use variable planting designs and their topographical dynamics might have an impact on PM dry deposition. This present study, employing an experimentally manipulable living wall system using box (Buxus sempervirens L.) plants, examined whether plants arranged in a design with heterogeneous topography have a differential PM removal capacity compared to plants in a design with homogenous topography. Two planting designs using 'short' and 'tall' plants, were simultaneously used on this living wall and equally exposed to traffic-based PM for 5 consecutive days. PM accumulation on leaves was estimated using an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope and ImageJ image analysis software. The experiment was replicated four times changing the position of each design on the wall, and any variation in PM capture levels on leaves belonging to different designs were identified using a Generalised Linear Mixed-effect Models (GLMM). The planting design with topographical heterogeneity resulted in significantly higher PM densities (PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 1) on leaf surfaces compared to a design with homogenous topography, indicating that topographical heterogeneity has a strong positive impact on the ability of plants to immobilise PM. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Planting design of a living wall has an important influence on PM immobilisation. • Topographical heterogeneity of a planting design improves the leaf PM accumulation. • Interspersing species or using the same species with variable morphology improves PM deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Expansion of modern cities reduces green areas, especially within city centres where the urban heat island has become a significant problem. In an attempt to increase greenery in cityscapes and to provide passive cooling, vertical greenery systems (VGS), an old practice of covering building façades with plants, are receiving attention from architects, engineers, building planners and researchers. This paper systematically reviews available publications on VGS and classifies them according to 13 distinct themes. Research into VGS has increased over recent years and the trend shows the approach to this field of research is changing. Thermal research remains the most prevalent theme compared to others, representing almost half of all publications (76 out of 166), with the top three most highly-cited articles all related to thermal properties of VGS. Nevertheless, the systematic review shows a strong trend of diversification into cross-disciplinary research. The proportion of VGS papers reporting on two or more themes has grown from 25% in 2011 to more than 60% in 2017. The review has revealed that among the limiting factors to VGS are cost and maintenance. The outcomes of this systematic review allow recommendations to be made to architects, designers, planners and owners of VGS regarding the need to account for maintenance in the overall design and operation of these systems. On the basis of this review, future research into VGSs will be increasingly multidisciplinary and will need to consider the interconnected dimensions of the system and how they determine both its cost and effectiveness. Highlights • Systematic review on VGS identified 1000 articles from Scopus and WoS; 166 articles included in final review. • Increasing research trend in VGS with 42 articles reviewed published in 2017, from 8 in 2010. • Included top ten journals publishing VGS research and top ten cited articles in VGS research. • Trend towards multidisciplinary research with growing number of articles relating to more than one discipline. • Identified emerging research and new technologies in VGS field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The most commonly used interventions for energy requalification of buildings aim to increase the thermal resistance of the perimeter walls and ceiling and the efficiency of the HVAC system. Windows replacement is also usually foreseen. Moreover, the energy saving strategies have to reduce the energy consumption of the building, taking into account economic aspects and thermo-hygrometric comfort conditions of the occupants. In the case of historic buildings, some architectonical and urban planning restrictions impose to adopt only a few solutions that are well suited with the valuable architectural qualities of the building. In Italy, there are many historic buildings. They are often located in small towns, such as the case study of this paper, a public historic building, the library "G. Pascoli" placed in S. Severo (FG). In this paper, the authors propose an energy saving intervention, which consists in the application of a green wall on the back side of the building, being the principal façade subjected to architectural restrictions. The most suitable technological solution for the building considered has been proposed and a numerical analysis of the building's energy performance has been carried out by the software DesignBuilder. The results are satisfactory, being the energy consumptions significantly reduced both in summer and winter conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite several studies showed that Vertical Greenery Systems (VGSs) have relevant thermal benefits at urban and building scales, researches devoted to investigate the benefits of a green facade through detailed transient thermal simulations are scarce. Furthermore, a study comparing the effectiveness of different plant types is still missing. The present paper aims to fill such gaps by studying the effectiveness of a green façade to improve the thermal behaviour of a well-insulated lightweight building in the Mediterranean area, as well as the perceived indoor thermal conditions, based on both on-site experimental measurements and dynamic thermal simulations with a novel Type in TRNSYS validated through the monitoring campaign. To this aim, two identical full-scale prefabricated modules were installed and monitored at the University Campus of Catania (Italy), differing from each other because one of them hosted a climbing plant species in its west façade. The validated numerical model was then used to appraise the cooling effect of the green façade with two different plant species commonly used in Mediterranean countries (Trachelospermum Jasminoides and Hedera Helix namely). Results show that Hedera helix ensures the best performance when the foliage layer is at an intermediate state of its growing process, while under full foliage development the species investigated show almost the same performance. The incoming heat flux can be strongly attenuated, showing a quite flat daily profile, while the peak value of the internal and external surface temperature of the wall can be reduced by up to 1.6 °C and 10.5 °C, respectively. • An experimental and numerical analysis of green façades in Mediterranean climate. • Accurate validation of an innovative vertical greenery system component in TRNSYS. • Simulations of Trachelospermum Jasminoides (Tj) and Hedera Helix (Hh) species. • Tj reduces the peak inner and outer surface temperature by 1.1 °C and by 7.4 °C. • Hh allows better performance when the foliage layer is at initial growing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- Using vertical greenery systems to reduce heat transmission is becoming more common in modern architecture. Vertical greenery systems are divided into two main categories; green facades and living walls. This study aims to examine the thermal performance of vertical greenery systems in hot and humid climates. An experimental procedure was used to measure indoor temperature and humidity. These parameters were also measured for the gap between the vertical greenery systems and wall surfaces. Three boxes were used as small-scale rooms. Two boxes were provided with either a living wall or a green facade and one box did not have any greenery (benchmark). Blue Trumpet Vine was used in the vertical greenery systems. The data were recorded over the course of three sunny days in April 2013. An analyses of the results showed that the living wall and green facade reduced indoor temperature up to 4.0 °C and 3.0 °C, respectively. The living wall and green facade also reduced cavity temperatures by 8.0 °C and 6.5 °C, respectively.

Living walls (LW) have been widely proposed as a form of green infrastructure to improve aesthetics, energy consumption, and microclimate in urban environments by adding densely-planted vegetation to the outside walls of buildings. Scientific studies using multiple treatments in a single LW face challenges due to the close physical proximity of different treatments, particularly the potential for plants above to influence those below. A study on a west-facing LW was undertaken to investigate 36 unique treatments in Adelaide, South Australia, for nine months. The LW comprised combinations of six native plant species, three soil substrates and two irrigation volumes. The LW consisted of 144 modular trays mounted on a wall in a 12 × 12 grid with four replicates of each treatment. The location of each treatment was designed to account for a cascading carry-over effect that may be present when one plant is placed above another. Carry-over effect of the model designed showed mixed results among the plant groups identified. It was also found that long-form plants can significantly shade smaller plants below them. Experimental research into the performance of plants in mixed species LW should consider the carry-over effect to account for this.

The relationship between Urban Heat Island (UHI) and energy consumption in buildings has been widely observed and studied. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of large-scale deployment of indirect Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) on the cooling demand of buildings and on the urban microclimate. VGS significantly reduces air temperature and wind speed near the walls. In doing so, it also positively impacts the UHI intensity. This is achieved mainly through the conversion of sensible heat to latent heat mediated by evaporation and transpiration from the VGS foliage. Evapotranspiration is a physically complex phenomenon and its interaction with the building and the urban climate is difficult to model accurately. We propose to use a dynamic nonlinear lumped parameter thermal network model to determine the thermal interactions between the prototypical building, the VGS, the paved road, the urban canopy air and the atmosphere. The model accounts for both sensible and latent exchanges within and outside the building. Solar (short-wave) radiation on building façade and road accounts for shading and unlimited diffuse reflections. Long-wave radiation among surfaces and between surfaces and the sky are estimated using view factors and the fully nonlinear Stefan-Bolzmann law. Building envelope infiltration rate and convective heat transfer coefficient vary with wind speed so as to properly reflect the energetic impact of wind speed attenuation near the wall due to the foliage. The thermal and aerodynamic characterization of the vegetation is based on the formulations proposed by Deardorff (1978). The evapotranspiration rate is estimated based on the Penman formula and is driven by the ‘vapor pressure deficit’ between actual vapor pressure in the ambient air and the saturation vapor pressure assumed to prevail on the surface of leaves. The calculation of sensible and latent heat fluxes between the urban canopy and the first level of the atmosphere considers buoyancy effects, using the coefficients introduced by Mascart et al. (1995). First, a base case model (no VGS) is created and validated using both building energy consumption data and urban air temperature measurements. The validated model is then used to investigate the impact of a large-scale deployment of VGS in the urban context. The weather data and the typical building thermo-physical properties are from the UAE. Comparison of the urban base case to the rural base case (both without VGS) shows a cooling load penalty, due to the UHI, of about 7 % . Retrofitting VGS to all buildings in the urban domain of study results in a 5 − 8 % reduction of the cooling load and a dramatic drop of the urban air temperature of about 0.7 − 0.9 °C, reducing the UHI intensity by almost half. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical greenery system (VGS) is a sustainable solution to promote building energy saving and emission reduction, mitigate the urban heat island effect, as well as a crucial component of urban ecological construction. We summarized four main mechanisms of the thermal effects of VGSs, including shading effect, evapotranspiration effect, thermal insulation effect, and wind control effect. We elucidated the effects of VGSs on building cooling and energy saving, and analyzed the cooling effects of VGSs on plant canopy and outdoor ambient air, as well as their influence on mitigating the urban heat island effect. Based on available research on the thermal effects of VGSs, we identified key directions for future research, aiming to expedite the development of green cities and achieve carbon neutrality.

The integration of vegetated architecture has evolved from gardening, aesthetic design, or artistic expression, to an indoor element named iVGS providing fashion function for the indoor environment. The aim of this study is to identify characteristics of commonly used indoor plants in tropics, and to determine the advantages and disadvantages of iVGS, criteria in selecting installation methods, layout plans for iVGS and correlation among locations, parameters, types and Pros & Cons. A questionnaire survey and three case studies including (a) Ban Guan Nursery; (b) Yeo Tang Hing Nursery and (c) Absolute Thai Garden were conducted. The three case studies determined characteristics of commonly used indoor plants and installation requirements of iVGS. The questionnaire survey found aesthetic the top benefit of iVGS but denied noise reduction as an effective function of it. The system could improve indoor air quality by filtering contaminates from different pollutants. This research denied allergy as a significant disadvantage of iVGS. High construction and maintenance cost is still the main obstacle for potential users to choose iVGS, but this paper does not cover the cost of iVGS; thus, further analysis on costing aspect for various iVGS are recommended for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living walls (LW) are a way to increase urban green infrastructure. Previous research has mainly focused on microclimatic cooling effect or the technical functioning of LW, while the development of autochthonous plant species and visual plant aspects for LWs have largely been neglected. In this study we focused on the possibility of establishing LWs by seeding, which is not used very often despite obvious advantages such as low costs, low maintenance requirements, and a high species diversity potential. Within a three-year field study in a temperate oceanic climate, we established a meadow-LW by sowing seed mixtures of >30 species on textile mats without soil substrate. After a pre-growing period with horizontal mats in the greenhouse, we placed the greened mats vertically on experimental walls exposed to the North, South, East, and West. We documented species coverage and visibility over time, growth height, and maintenance steps. After cutting, the vegetation recovered within a few weeks and we recommend one complete cut in summer and removing dead plant material after the frost period. From April to October, we observed an increasing growth height and vegetation coverage reaching >100%, followed by a decline till December. Differences of plant species composition and development between different expositions and study years were observed especially after the cold winter of 2017/2018. This study was able to demonstrate that seeded meadow-LWs can be easily established. The use of autochthonous plant species mixtures can create new biodiverse habitats, are aesthetically attractive and increase human wellbeing. • Seeding of autochthonous meadow seed mixtures is a feasible way of creating attractive LWs. • A continuous fertilization and irrigation system is cost-efficient. • The meadow-LWs require one summer cut and removal of dead plant material in early spring only minimal maintenance. • The use of highly diverse seed mixtures is recommended to increase the number of establishing species with positive effects on biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantified the transpiration cooling effect by comparing a living climber greenwall (CGW) against a real but non-transpiring one after confirming the cessation of transpiration and similar vegetation coverages of both of them. We severed stems of plants in one of the CGWs to stop transpiration. By monitoring the changes in transpiration rate, leaf temperature, and percentage coverages of plants with and without severance of stems, we tried to confirm the cessation of transpiration and similar vegetation coverages. In parallel with it, we measured the indoor thermal environments in the well-covered houses of the two treatments, as well as a non-covered house, and calculated the transpiration cooling effect. The transpiration rates of plants with stem severance dropped to less than 1.0 mmol m −2 s −1 within 35 min after severance. Almost all leaf temperatures in the severed treatment were similar to the dry reference leaf temperatures. In contrast, those in the non-severed treatment remained the same as before severance. In addition, the percentage points of percentage coverages between the living CGW and the real but non-transpiring one was reduced to just 1.5% two days after severance. Thus, we quantified the transpiration cooling effect of CGWs using the indoor thermal environmental data two days after severance. The average transpiration cooling effect calculated from the indoor wall surface temperatures (=severed plant-covered house − intact plant-covered house) was 0.23 °C, although the average shading cooling effect (=non-covered house − severed plant-covered house) was 8.55 °C under global solar radiation on a vertical south surface between 400 and 600 W m −2 . In addition, those calculated from room temperatures under the same environmental conditions were 0.15 and 4.00 °C, respectively. Therefore, we concluded that the transpiration cooling effect of CGWs, which were separately set from the walls, on the indoor thermal environment of houses was much smaller than the shading cooling effect. Using these methodologies, we recommend further investigation of the appropriate distance between CGWs and walls to increase the transpiration cooling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature has its own astonishing capability to naturally cleanse the environment. Living green drapes on buildings look elegant and can provide sustainable solutions in congested cities. The Vellore Institute of Technology in India promotes green values within the country. Although the campus is lush and verdant, its ever growing student population precipitated an increase in public thoroughfare causing air pollution. To partially alleviate this problem, walls of a subway connecting the main academic campus and the hostel premises are draped with Vernonia elaegnifolia creeper; this is aesthetically elegant and was found to be efficient in capturing much of the vehicular pollution within the subway. An experimental investigation clubbed with an Ecotect analysis helped ascertain the optimal duration of the temperature drop across the subway. The analysis also predicts an annual savings of 36000 USD per hostel block. A detailed Scanning Electron Microscopic analyses coupled with Spectrophotometry established the deposition pattern of sulphates and nitrates. It is expected that the results of this analysis will promote the use of green facades in this sun drenched country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants on building facades bring a better thermal behavior of the building during the summer. During winter time the studies are scarce. Several design parameters may affect the extent of this vegetation system on the improvement of energy performance as the vegetation itself. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of vertical greenery systems on the energy consumption of buildings during winter conditions of Portugal. It involves performing EnergyPlus simulations after it was validated against other studies. The choice of design parameters for vertical vegetation is also important in making sure that it contributes to energy savings rather than energy consumption. It is found that vertical greenery systems are effective in lowering the thermal losses through North, East and West walls, thus it can improve the energy efficiency of the building mainly by insulating it. This resulted in lower annual energy load for heating. Simulations proofed that living wall systems on the walls facing south do not contribute to energy savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly growing cities and human activities change the environment and are accompanied by some drawbacks. Sustainable remedies are needed to protect the environment and the earth against warming environment, pollution, natural resource use and other negative aspects of human activities. Applying vertical greenery systems not only reduce temperature, but also have many economic, environmental and social benefits. This review is about vertical greenery systems description, division and benefits with a focus on energy related topics. The paper describes different experiments on vertical greenery systems by attention to their energy characteristic from recent years. Scan research and studies have determined positive aspects of these sustainable systems as well as a few negative aspects. Moreover, different parameters which are involved in thermal performance of vertical greenery systems are highlighted. Based on various scan research some recommendations for future studies are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper organizes and summarizes the literature on Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) when used as passive tool for energy savings in buildings. First, with the information obtained in the reviewed literature some key aspects to consider when working with VGS are clarified, such as the classification systems, the climate influence, the plant species used and the different operating mechanisms. Then, the main conclusions of this literature, sorted by construction system (Green Walls or Green Façades) and climatic situation, are summarized. In general, it can be concluded that VGS provide great potential in reducing energy consumption in buildings, especially in the cooling periods. However, a lack of data on operation during the heating period as well as during the whole year has been found. On the other hand, results show that the investigations of VGS are not equally distributed around the world, being basically concentrated in Europe and Asia. Moreover, the review concludes that some aspects must be studied in depth, such as which species are the most suitable for each climate, influence on energy savings of the façade orientation, foliage thickness, presence of air layers, and finally, substrate layer composition and thickness in the case of green walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate a technique to cool livestock buildings by covering it with kudzu vine (Pueraria lobata). Specifically, we first examined whether one-year-old nursery stocks of kudzu that were planted in spring can cover livestock buildings with standard size by summer in Japan. Then, we quantified the cooling effects of changes of kudzu vine covering on the room temperatures of fabricated livestock buildings under field conditions. Our results showed that the vines reached the roof of standard-sized livestock buildings by summer. The estimated average percentage coverages and the sorted room temperature reductions (RTRs) showed positively significant relationships under the global solar radiation on a horizontal surface greater than 0.2 kW m-2. The maximum sorted RTR was 3.44 °C, when the estimated average percentage coverage was 43.9%. Thus, we conclude that the technique to cool livestock buildings using one-year-old nursery stocks of kudzu vine is applicable to livestock buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Environmental performance of Vertical Greenery Systems is analysed based on eMergy. [•] ‘Environmental costs’ were assessed as the resource use for maintenance–sustenance. [•] ‘Environmental benefits’ refer to cooling energy saving due to the shading and airflow. [•] A ‘Cost to Benefit Ratio’ was calculated as an indicator of environmental performance. [•] In certain conditions environmental benefits were found to balance costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Green façades have long been used to reduce the overheating of buildings by excessive solar gain, but little research attention has been paid to the plant traits that reduce the surface temperature of urban structures. This study aimed to identify the key traits contributing to the cooling effects of green façades by comparing five vine plant species. The vines were trained to climb a plastic net that was attached on the freestanding walls under outdoor conditions. One of the walls was not covered with plants to serve as control. We measured the longest vine length, total number of leaves, percentage coverage, leaf transpiration rate, leaf solar transmittance, wall surface temperatures, global solar radiation on a vertical south surface (GSR) and ambient temperature. We identified the percentage coverage as the key trait determining the overall cooling effect: a statistically positive relationship (P < 0.001) was identified between the percentage coverage and the wall surface temperature reduction (WTR; the wall surface temperature differences between the non-covered wall and the covered wall) under GSR of more than 0.1 kW m−2. The percentage coverage was in turn found to be determined by the vine length. We also found that genotypic differences in WTRs that were not explained by those in the percentage coverage were related to those in leaf solar transmittance, indicating that this trait also contributed to the cooling effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green facades applied on a building's envelope allow achieving the building's passive thermal control and energy consumption reduction. These are complex systems and many site- and plant-specific parameters influence their energy behavior. The leaf area index (LAI) is a relevant plant characteristic to consider. Solar shading and latent heat loss of plant evapotranspiration are the two main cooling mechanisms. The aim of this study was to assess the cooling effect provided by an evergreen south oriented green facade in summer in a Mediterranean area and to investigate what happens when LAI changes. Experimental data were used to calculate the cooling effect provided by the facade. Simulations with different LAI values were performed to determine the related cooling effect. The canopy solar transmissivity decreased by 54% for every LAI unit increase. LAI significantly influenced the green facade cooling performance. As LAI increased, solar shading and latent heat increased; this was relevant until an upper limit value of 6. An exponential equation to calculate the mean extinction coefficient (km), and a polynomial relationship, with very good agreement, were proposed to calculate shading and latent heat as function of LAI. The findings of this research can effectively contribute to fill still existing gaps on green facades' energy performance and to the energy simulation of buildings equipped with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban densification continues to present a unique set of economic and environmental challenges. A growing shortage of green space and infrastructure is intrinsically linked with urban growth and development. With this comes the loss of ecosystem services such as urban heat island effects, reduction of air quality and biodiversity loss. Vertical greenery systems (VGS) offer an adaptive solution to space-constrained areas that are characteristic of dense urban areas, and can potentially improve the sustainability of cities. However, in order to promote VGS uptake, methods are required to enable systematic appraisal of whether existing walls can be retrofitted with VGS. Further, feasibility studies that quantify the potential for retrofit suitability of VGS across entire urban areas are lacking. This study established an evaluation tool for green wall constructability in urban areas and validated the assessment tool by determining the quantity of walls in five major Australian cities that could potentially have VGS incorporated into the existing infrastructure. Each wall was analysed using an exclusionary set of criteria that evaluated and ranked a wall based on its suitability to VGS implementation. Sydney and Brisbane recorded the greatest proportional length of walls suitable for VGS, with 33.74% and 34.12% respectively. Conversely, Perth's urban centre was the least feasible site in which to incorporate VGS, with over 97% of surveyed walls excluded, mainly due to the prevalence of <1 m high fence lines and glazed shopfronts. This study aimed to evaluate feasibility assessments of green wall retrofitability in highly urbanised areas with the intention of creating an analytical method that is accessible to all. This method, coupled with the promising number of feasible walls found in this study, emphasises the need for more government policy and incentives encouraging green wall uptake and could play a pivotal role in the expansion of green infrastructure and urban forestry. • Vertical greenery presents is a potential solution to revegetate and regreen cities. • Methods and evaluation tools are needed to promote vertical greenery uptake. • A feasibility rating tool for green wall retrofitability was assessed in this study. • This tool demonstrated the different levels of retrofitability in urban areas of Australia. • The tool could be used by green stakeholders to increase urban greenspace and regreen cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living wall systems have been widely recognized as one of the promising approaches for building applications due to their aesthetic value and ecological benefits. Compared with outdoor living wall systems, indoor living wall systems (ILWS) play a more vital role in indoor air quality. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of ILWS on indoor air quality. In an office building, two parallel corridors were selected as comparative groups. A 10.6 m2 ILWS was installed on the sidewall of the west corridor while the east corridor was empty. Some important parameters, including indoor air temperature, relative humidity, concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM) were obtained based on the actual environment monitoring. According to the statistical analysis of the data, there were significant differences in the concentrations of CO2 and PMs in the corridors with and without ILWS, which indicated that CO2 and PM2.5 removal rate ranged from 12% to 17% and 8% to 14%, respectively. The temperature difference is quite small (0.13 °C on average), while relative humidity slightly increased by 3.1–6.4% with the presence of the ILWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]