IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i5p2966-d763398.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effect of Leaf Area Index on Green Facade Thermal Performance in Buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Fabiana Convertino

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Evelia Schettini

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Ileana Blanco

    (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy)

  • Carlo Bibbiani

    (Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy)

  • Giuliano Vox

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

Abstract

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 ( k m ), 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabiana Convertino & Evelia Schettini & Ileana Blanco & Carlo Bibbiani & Giuliano Vox, 2022. "Effect of Leaf Area Index on Green Facade Thermal Performance in Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2966-:d:763398
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2966/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2966/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Manso, Maria & Teotónio, Inês & Silva, Cristina Matos & Cruz, Carlos Oliveira, 2021. "Green roof and green wall benefits and costs: A review of the quantitative evidence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    2. Pérez, Gabriel & Coma, Julià & Martorell, Ingrid & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2014. "Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) for energy saving in buildings: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 139-165.
    3. 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.
    4. Constantin C. Bungău & Ioana Francesca Prada & Marcela Prada & Constantin Bungău, 2019. "Design and Operation of Constructions: A Healthy Living Environment-Parametric Studies and New Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-19, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Cansu Iraz Seyrek Şık & Agata Woźniczka & Barbara Widera, 2022. "A Conceptual Framework for the Design of Energy-Efficient Vertical Green Façades," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Ileana Blanco & Fabiana Convertino, 2023. "Thermal Performance of Green Façades: Research Trends Analysis Using a Science Mapping Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Susca, T. & Zanghirella, F. & Colasuonno, L. & Del Fatto, V., 2022. "Effect of green wall installation on urban heat island and building energy use: A climate-informed systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    2. Ileana Blanco & Fabiana Convertino, 2023. "Thermal Performance of Green Façades: Research Trends Analysis Using a Science Mapping Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.
    3. Manso, Maria & Teotónio, Inês & Silva, Cristina Matos & Cruz, Carlos Oliveira, 2021. "Green roof and green wall benefits and costs: A review of the quantitative evidence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. 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.
    5. Coma, Julià & Chàfer, Marta & Pérez, Gabriel & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2020. "How internal heat loads of buildings affect the effectiveness of vertical greenery systems? An experimental study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 919-930.
    6. 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).
    7. Fabrizio Ascione & Rosa Francesca De Masi & Margherita Mastellone & Silvia Ruggiero & Giuseppe Peter Vanoli, 2020. "Green Walls, a Critical Review: Knowledge Gaps, Design Parameters, Thermal Performances and Multi-Criteria Design Approaches," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-39, May.
    8. Annalisa Pacini & Hans Georg Edelmann & Jörg Großschedl & Kirsten Schlüter, 2022. "A Literature Review on Facade Greening: How Research Findings May Be Used to Promote Sustainability and Climate Literacy in School," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-27, April.
    9. Šuklje, Tomaž & Hamdy, Mohamed & Arkar, Ciril & Hensen, Jan L.M. & Medved, Sašo, 2019. "An inverse modeling approach for the thermal response modeling of green façades," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1447-1456.
    10. Marcin K. Widomski & Anna Musz-Pomorska & Justyna Gołębiowska, 2023. "Hydrologic Effectiveness and Economic Efficiency of Green Architecture in Selected Urbanized Catchment," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, June.
    11. Bakhshoodeh, Reza & Ocampo, Carlos & Oldham, Carolyn, 2022. "Thermal performance of green façades: Review and analysis of published data," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    12. Peter J. Irga & Fraser R. Torpy & Daniel Griffin & Sara J. Wilkinson, 2023. "Vertical Greening Systems: A Perspective on Existing Technologies and New Design Recommendation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-13, March.
    13. Pei-Wen Chung & Stephen J. Livesley & John P. Rayner & Claire Farrell, 2021. "Rooting Volume Impacts Growth, Coverage and Thermal Tolerance of Green Façade Climbing Plants," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-13, November.
    14. Carlo Alberto Campiotti & Carlo Bibbiani & Alberto Campiotti & Evelia Schettini & Corinna Viola & Giuliano Vox, 2016. "Innovative sustainable strategies in agro-food systems and in buildings for energy efficiency," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 79-96.
    15. Dafni Despoina Avgoustaki & George Xydis, 2020. "Plant factories in the water-food-energy Nexus era: a systematic bibliographical review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 253-268, April.
    16. Michał Dziadkiewicz & Renata Włodarczyk & Katarzyna Sukiennik, 2022. "Innovative Ecological Transformations in the Management of Municipal Real Estate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, November.
    17. 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.
    18. 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.
    19. Michal Poljak & Radoslav Ponechal, 2023. "Microclimatic Monitoring—The Beginning of Saving Historical Sacral Buildings in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, January.
    20. Cristina Matos Silva & Fátima Bernardo & Maria Manso & Isabel Loupa Ramos, 2023. "Green Spaces over a Roof or on the Ground, Does It Matter? The Perception of Ecosystem Services and Potential Restorative Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2966-:d:763398. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.