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Thermal performance of climber greenwalls: Effects of solar irradiance and orientation

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  • Jim, C.Y.

Abstract

Thermal performance of greenwalls, a critical and common concern, is regulated by solar irradiance vis-à-vis orientation and shading. A field experiment was conducted in humid-tropical Hong Kong to address the research question under typical summer-weather scenarios: sunny, cloudy and rainy. On a large circular concrete tank, climber-greenwall experimental plots were established with duplication in four cardinal compass directions. Air and infrared-radiometer surface temperature sensors monitored at different greenwall positions: ambient-air (control), bare-concrete-surface (control), vegetation-surface, behind-mesh-airgap, and behind-mesh-concrete surface. Pyranometers were installed vertically at four orientations and horizontally at tank-top (control) to monitor solar-energy input. Habitat verticality induces notable variations in solar-energy capture at four orientations by daily total, peak level, intensity, duration and timing. On sunny day, solar fraction reaching east side was only 37.1% of tank-top. Early morning sunshine striking east side nearly perpendicularly brings maximum intensity. South side facing the sun but at tangential incident angle has only 23.3% reception. Strong irradiance drives high control-surface temperature, but also induces notable vegetation-surface and adjacent ambient-air cooling by transpiration. A threshold solar intensity of about 300Wm−2 is necessary to impart notable cooling-effect. Summer-sunny day and rainy-day sunshine-burst episodes could satisfy this condition; cloudy day and rainfall periods with attenuated-diffused sunlight could not. Cloudy day and rainfall periods suppress cooling differences by orientation. Behind-mesh concrete surface is consistently cooler than control concrete surface in the three summer-weather scenarios. Behind-mesh-air remains warmer than ambient-air but cooler than two adjoining surfaces (vegetation and behind-mesh-concrete), indicating air-barrier effect and restricted air exchange between ambience and airgap. It implies that greenwall can bring bidirectional cooling, but transpiration cooling of anterior (ambient) air is more effective than shading and thermal-insulation cooling of posterior (airgap) air and concrete-surface. The findings could inform greenwall design to enhance ecosystem services for climate-change adaption and urban heat island amelioration.

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  • Jim, C.Y., 2015. "Thermal performance of climber greenwalls: Effects of solar irradiance and orientation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 631-643.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:154:y:2015:i:c:p:631-643
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.05.077
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    5. Hussain H. Al-Kayiem & Kelly Koh & Tri W. B. Riyadi & Marwan Effendy, 2020. "A Comparative Review on Greenery Ecosystems and Their Impacts on Sustainability of Building Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-25, October.
    6. Noemi Caltabellotta & Felicia Cavaleri & Carlo Greco & Kestutis Navickas & Carlo Scibetta & Laura Giammanco, 2019. "Integration of green roofs&walls in urban areas," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(2 Suppl.), pages 61-78.
    7. Patryk Antoszewski & Dariusz Świerk & Michał Krzyżaniak, 2020. "Statistical Review of Quality Parameters of Blue-Green Infrastructure Elements Important in Mitigating the Effect of the Urban Heat Island in the Temperate Climate (C) Zone," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-36, September.
    8. Cuce, Erdem, 2017. "Thermal regulation impact of green walls: An experimental and numerical investigation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 247-254.
    9. Yang, An-Shik & Juan, Yu-Hsuan & Wen, Chih-Yung & Chang, Chao-Jui, 2017. "Numerical simulation of cooling effect of vegetation enhancement in a subtropical urban park," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 178-200.
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    13. Peng, Lilliana L.H. & Jiang, Zhidian & Yang, Xiaoshan & Wang, Qingqing & He, Yunfei & Chen, Sophia Shuang, 2020. "Energy savings of block-scale facade greening for different urban forms," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    14. Hankun Lin & Yiqiang Xiao & Florian Musso & Yao Lu, 2019. "Green Façade Effects on Thermal Environment in Transitional Space: Field Measurement Studies and Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.
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    17. Jamei, E. & Ossen, D.R. & Seyedmahmoudian, M. & Sandanayake, M. & Stojcevski, A. & Horan, B., 2020. "Urban design parameters for heat mitigation in tropics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    18. Lee, Louis S.H. & Jim, C.Y., 2019. "Energy benefits of green-wall shading based on novel-accurate apportionment of short-wave radiation components," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1506-1518.
    19. Vera, Sergio & Pinto, Camilo & Tabares-Velasco, Paulo Cesar & Bustamante, Waldo, 2018. "A critical review of heat and mass transfer in vegetative roof models used in building energy and urban enviroment simulation tools," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 752-764.
    20. Alexander Pichlhöfer & Azra Korjenic & Abdulah Sulejmanovski & Erich Streit, 2023. "Influence of Facade Greening with Ivy on Thermal Performance of Masonry Walls," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-17, June.
    21. Pérez, Gabriel & Coma, Julià & Sol, Salvador & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2017. "Green facade for energy savings in buildings: The influence of leaf area index and facade orientation on the shadow effect," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 424-437.
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