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Modeling the Effect of Green Roofs for Building Energy Savings and Air Pollution Reduction in Shanghai

Author

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  • Yuanfan Zheng

    (School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China)

  • Liang Chen

    (School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China)

Abstract

Building energy consumption is an essential source of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution. Green roofs can directly absorb ambient CO 2 and remove air pollutants through their vegetation layers, but a limited number of studies have examined their effects on GHG and air pollutant reduction associated with building energy savings, especially in the context of climate change. This research examined the performance of green roofs on CO 2 and air pollutant reduction, including SO 2 , PM 2.5 , and NO x , through building energy demand savings in Shanghai, China. Climate change mitigation effects were assessed based on the energy consumption of five types of buildings before and after the installation of green roofs under 2020 and 2050 climate conditions, respectively. EnergyPlus software 9.5.0 was applied to simulate hourly energy consumption for different building prototypes with and without green roofs. Green roofs on all building types exhibited positive energy savings on annual, monthly, and diurnal scales, and they can save more energy for most of the building types under the projected 2050 climate condition. Moreover, most of the building energy saved by green roofs came from the Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) systems. In addition, this study discovered that the energy-saving benefits of green roofs vary based on the type of building they were installed on. Green roofs were found to have the largest energy saving on the shopping mall, especially on extremely hot summer days. Finally, a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach was developed with the ability to quantify the amount of GHG and air pollutant reduction associated with building energy savings for existing buildings in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. This approach was also utilized to present the spatial distribution of buildings with different levels of suitability to install green roofs by considering their location attributes and air pollutant reduction potential together, which is the major innovation of this research. The purpose of this study is to provide valuable guidance to policy makers regarding the performance of green roofs in building energy-saving and air quality improvement in the urban environment when facing the challenge of climate change, which is essential for urban sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanfan Zheng & Liang Chen, 2023. "Modeling the Effect of Green Roofs for Building Energy Savings and Air Pollution Reduction in Shanghai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:286-:d:1309346
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shafique, Muhammad & Kim, Reeho & Rafiq, Muhammad, 2018. "Green roof benefits, opportunities and challenges – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 757-773.
    2. Taleghani, Mohammad, 2018. "Outdoor thermal comfort by different heat mitigation strategies- A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2011-2018.
    3. Bognár, Ferenc & Böcskei, Elvira, 2022. "Potential Model to Support the Achievement of Corporate Carbon Neutrality," Public Finance Quarterly, Corvinus University of Budapest, vol. 67(3), pages 379-395.
    4. Xu, Luyi & Liu, Junjie & Pei, Jingjing & Han, Xu, 2013. "Building energy saving potential in Hot Summer and Cold Winter (HSCW) Zone, China—Influence of building energy efficiency standards and implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 253-262.
    5. Jim, C.Y., 2014. "Air-conditioning energy consumption due to green roofs with different building thermal insulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 49-59.
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    1. Kazemian, Arash & Xiang, Changying, 2025. "Synergizing photovoltaic-thermal systems with green roofs: A pathway to enhanced urban sustainability and energy efficiency," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    2. Olga Szlachetka & Joanna Witkowska-Dobrev & Anna Baryła & Marek Dohojda, 2025. "Experimental Evaluation of the Sustainable Performance of Filtering Geotextiles in Green Roof Systems: Tensile Properties and Surface Morphology After Long-Term Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-16, July.

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