Effectiveness of Cool and Green Roofs Inside and Outside Buildings in the Brazilian Context

Taylana Piccinini Scolaro (), Enedir Ghisi and Cristina Matos Silva
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Taylana Piccinini Scolaro: Research Group on Management of Sustainable Environments, Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Enedir Ghisi: Research Group on Management of Sustainable Environments, Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Cristina Matos Silva: CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: Several studies have assessed the thermal performance of green and cool roofs. However, few have comprehensively addressed Brazilian buildings and climates, considering indoor and outdoor environments. Considering three Brazilian cities, this study aims to assess the performance of green and cool roofs compared with traditional fibre cement roofs in a typical multifamily residential building. Energy consumption, thermal comfort, and outside surface temperature were assessed using computer simulation. The results show that the cool roofs performed better in cities with warmer climates (e.g., Cfa and Aw), reducing electricity consumption by up to 24.8% compared with traditional roofs. Green roofs are better suited for colder climates (e.g., Cfb), with up to 28.2% energy savings. Green roofs provided the highest percentage of thermal comfort hours in all climates. Cool and green roofs provided hourly reductions in outside roof surface temperature of up to 16.5 °C and 28.4 °C, respectively, compared with the traditional roof. This work reinforces that the choice between these two roof types for each city depends on the parameter used for comparison. Based on the relevant information applied to Brazilian buildings and representative climates presented, this work provided recommendations for urban planning policies and building regulations in Brazil.

Keywords: green roof; cool roof; energy consumption; thermal comfort; urban heat island (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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