Optimisation of Building Green Performances Using Vertical Greening Systems: A Case Study in Changzhou, China

Yue Yang, Kai Hu, Yibiao Liu, Zhihuang Wang, Kaihong Dong, Peijuan Lv and Xing Shi ()
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Yue Yang: Jiangsu Research Institute of Building Science Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Kai Hu: Jiangsu Jianke Identification Consulting Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Yibiao Liu: Jiangsu Research Institute of Building Science Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Zhihuang Wang: Jiangsu Jianke Identification Consulting Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Kaihong Dong: Jiangsu Jianke Identification Consulting Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Peijuan Lv: Jiangsu Jianke Identification Consulting Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210008, China
Xing Shi: College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-30

Abstract: The benefits of greening systems on buildings have been frequently examined using experimental methods. However, few studies have adopted dynamic monitoring of real operational buildings to quantify the effects of greening systems on multiple building green performance indexes, such as thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and energy consumption. In this study, a type of multi-in-one indoor environmental quality monitoring device was adopted for vertical greening systems in a green-certified building in Changzhou, China, with real-time data collection through an Internet of Things platform. Measurements of the indoor thermal environment and air quality were recorded from four testing points during a 90 day period from spring to summer in 2021. For comparison, the testing points were divided into group A (office zone) and group B (exhibition zone). Our results demonstrated that, in the presence of a vertical greening system, the seasonal average indoor temperatures decreased by up to 0.7 °C. The green facade outperformed the ordinary exterior wall, optimising both indoor thermal comfort and thermal inertia. Furthermore, judicious indoor greening designs significantly reduced the indoor air-pollutant concentrations, such as particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and organic pollutants. The median values for particulate matter 10 and formaldehyde concentration decreased by 20.7% and 33.3%, respectively, thus improving the indoor air quality. Lastly, the annual electricity consumption of the building with vertical greening systems was about 25% lower than that of similar buildings, underlining the potential contribution of vertical greening systems to building energy conservation. Such findings collectively demonstrate that greening systems offer quantifiable benefits for building parameters such as thermal properties, indoor air quality, and energy conservation.

Keywords: vertical greening system (VGS); building green performance; real-time monitoring; thermal environment; indoor air quality; energy conservation (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 (2)

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