Influence of Facade Greening with Ivy on Thermal Performance of Masonry Walls

Alexander Pichlhöfer (), Azra Korjenic, Abdulah Sulejmanovski and Erich Streit
Additional contact information
Alexander Pichlhöfer: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Azra Korjenic: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Abdulah Sulejmanovski: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Erich Streit: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: Heat transfer through building envelopes is a crucial aspect of energy efficiency in construction. Masonry walls, being a commonly used building material, have a significant impact on thermal performance. In recent years, green roofs and walls have gained popularity as a means of improving energy efficiency, reducing urban heat islands, and enhancing building aesthetics. This study aims to investigate the effect of ivy ( Hedera helix ) greening on heat transfer through masonry walls and their corresponding surface temperatures. Ivy was chosen as a model plant due to its widespread use and ability to cover large surface areas. The results of this study suggest that ivy greening can have a significant impact on the thermal performance of masonry walls. During winter, the heat transfer coefficient of greened walls was found to be up to 30% lower compared to non-greened walls. This indicates that ivy greening can help reduce energy consumption for heating and thus improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In addition, the surface temperature under the ivy was found to be significantly higher than on the bare wall during winter. However, during summer, the surface temperature under the ivy was lower than on the bare wall, which may help reduce cooling energy consumption. The results of this study are consistent with previous research in the field. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of ivy greening on the thermal performance of masonry walls.

Keywords: heat transfer; green building envelope; Hedera helix; thermal performance; masonry wall (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9546/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9546/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9546-:d:1170762

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().