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Assessing Building Energy Savings and the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Green Roofs in Shanghai Using a GIS-Based Approach

Author

Listed:
  • 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)

  • Haipeng Zhao

    (Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

Abstract

Climate change can significantly affect building energy use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in urban areas, as fossil fuels remain a significant energy source. Green roofs can offer multiple benefits to the urban environment, but their effects on GHG mitigation have not been fully investigated, especially under climate change. This study assessed green roofs’ contribution to GHG mitigation by saving building energy and absorbing CO 2 under the present (2017–2019) and future (2049–2051) climate scenarios (SSP2-45 and SSP5-85) in Shanghai, China, at the city and township scale. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial statistical method was developed based on climate change modeling and building energy simulation. The results suggested that installing green roofs can effectively save building energy regardless of building type, yet the amount of savings can vary depending on the weather conditions within the city. The contribution analysis indicated that most saved building energy was attributed to the Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) system, with more energy saved under warmer climate scenarios in the future, particularly during the summer months. More energy was saved from shopping malls on an annual and monthly scale, regardless of the climate scenarios and weather zones. Finally, a case study indicated installing green roofs on all five types of buildings (office, hotel, hospital, shopping mall, apartment) of less than 50 m in height can reduce 8.28% of the CO 2 emitted during the building operation stage in the entire city under the present climate scenario. The annual CO 2 reduction varied with the location of townships, ranging from 2.18% to 13.78%, depending on the composition of building types and local weather conditions in Shanghai. This study offered policymakers a reference on the environmental benefits and investment values of installing green roofs in large cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanfan Zheng & Liang Chen & Haipeng Zhao, 2024. "Assessing Building Energy Savings and the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Green Roofs in Shanghai Using a GIS-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:18:p:8150-:d:1480567
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bevilacqua, Piero & Bruno, Roberto & Arcuri, Natale, 2020. "Green roofs in a Mediterranean climate: energy performances based on in-situ experimental data," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 1414-1430.
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    5. Nan Zhou & Nina Khanna & Wei Feng & Jing Ke & Mark Levine, 2018. "Scenarios of energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction potential in the buildings sector in China to year 2050," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 3(11), pages 978-984, November.
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    1. Edoardo De Cristo & Luca Evangelisti & Leone Barbaro & Roberto De Lieto Vollaro & Francesco Asdrubali, 2025. "A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-38, May.

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