scholarly journals A Comparison of Energy and Thermal Performance of Rooftop Greenhouses and Green Roofs in Mediterranean Climate: A Hygrothermal Assessment in WUFI

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2030
Author(s):  
Mansoureh Gholami ◽  
Alberto Barbaresi ◽  
Patrizia Tassinari ◽  
Marco Bovo ◽  
Daniele Torreggiani
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Cooling Period ◽  
The Impact

In urban areas, a considerable proportion of energy demand is allocated to buildings. Since rooftops constitute one-fourth of all urban surfaces, an increasing amount of attention is paid to achieving the most efficient shapes and component designs compatible with every climate and urban context, for rooftops of varying sizes. In this study, three types of rooftop technologies, namely insulated, green roof, and rooftop greenhouse, are evaluated for energy and thermal performance using computer simulations. Water surface exposure, absorption, and intrusion are the three important factors in the calculation of hygrothermal models that impact energy consumption and building envelope performance; however, a few studies are specifically focused on providing realistic results in multi-dimensional hygrothermal models and the assessment of the impact of moisture in roofing solutions. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of three different roofing technologies through a two-dimensional hygrothermal simulation in software WUFI. To accomplish this, a precise localized microclimate model of a complex urban context on the scale of a neighborhood was employed to evaluate the cooling and heating loads of the buildings, the impact of the water content in the green roof on the thermal behavior of the roof surface, and the feasibility of designing a building with nearly zero cooling needs. A two-story building in the city center of Bologna, Italy is modelled. Simulation results have shown that during the cooling period, the performance of the designed rooftop greenhouse is the most effective by 50% reduction in cooling loads. Besides, the impact of moisture in green roofs has been detected as a negative factor for thermal and energy performance of the building in the Mediterranean climate. The results ultimately highlighted the capability of passively-designed rooftop greenhouses to create a building with nearly zero cooling needs.

scholarly journals Impact of Vegetation, Substrate, and Irrigation on the Energy Performance of Green Roofs in a Mediterranean Climate

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gomes ◽  
Silva ◽  
Valadas ◽  
Silva
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Irrigation Levels

Green roof energy performance is still a challenging topic, namely in a Mediterranean climate since it depends on building characteristics, roof type, and also on climatic conditions. This paper evaluates green roof buildings’ energy needs and use in a Mediterranean climate. An experimentally calibrated numerical model was used to perform a parametric analysis and identify the influence of key parameters in heating and cooling energy needs, as well as annual energy use. The vegetation height, the soil depth, and LAI (leaf area index) were identified as the key parameters. The irrigation levels were also crucial for the energy performance of green roofs, particularly during the summer period and in a Mediterranean climate. Heating energy needs were mainly associated with soil depth due to higher thermal resistance, whereas cooling energy needs depended mostly on LAI, which influenced evapotranspiration and shading effects. A reduction of soil depth from 1.0 m to 0.1 m increased winter energy needs by up to 140%, while low values of LAI increased cooling energy needs up to 365%. Annual energy use in a Mediterranean climate showed a higher dependence on soil depth, with oscillations of up to 115%, followed by LAI and vegetation height. Finally, irrigation levels impacted the annual energy use more significantly for lower watering flow rates. Reductions of about 500% were obtained when changing watering flowrates from 0 mm/day to 6 mm/day in intensive green roofs. Since green roofs with native species expect low values of watering, this may increase their cooling energy needs.

Thermal performance assessment of vernacular residential semi-open spaces in Mediterranean climate

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1050-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Philokyprou ◽  
Aimilios Michael ◽  
Stavroula Thravalou ◽  
Ioannis Ioannou
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Cooling Period ◽  
Architectural Features ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates the overall thermal performance of vernacular buildings in Nicosia, Cyprus and highlights the role of semi-open spaces in improving the thermal comfort of the aforementioned structures. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that it presents, in a comparative way, field measurements carried out in five traditional buildings, discussing at the same time the impact of authentic architectural features, as well as of contemporary interventions, on the bioclimatic function of the original building envelope, taking into account the daily use of the premises under investigation. The research outcomes highlight the positive contribution of semi-open spaces to the thermal comfort of vernacular buildings, especially during the cooling period (summer). Contemporary architectural interventions, such as the conversion of semi-open spaces into closed indoor spaces, as well as the behaviour of occupants, are also found to affect the thermal performance of the traditional building envelope.

scholarly journals The GREENROOF module (v7.3) for modelling green roof hydrological and energetic performances within TEB

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1127-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. de Munck ◽  
A. Lemonsu ◽  
R. Bouzouidja ◽  
V. Masson ◽  
R. Claverie
Keyword(s):  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Extensive Green Roof ◽  
Hydrological Characteristics ◽  
Drainage Layers ◽  
Evaluation Exercise ◽  
Climate Forcings ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The need to prepare cities for climate change adaptation requests the urban modeller community to implement within their models sustainable adaptation strategies to be tested against specific city morphologies and scenarios. Greening city roofs is part of these strategies. In this context, a GREENROOF module for TEB (Town Energy Balance) has been developed to model the interactions between buildings and green roof systems at the scale of the city. This module allows one to describe an extensive green roof composed of four functional layers (vegetation – grasses or sedums, substrate, retention/drainage layers and artificial roof layers) and to model vegetation-atmosphere fluxes of heat, water and momentum, as well as the hydrological and thermal fluxes throughout the substrate and the drainage layers, and the thermal coupling with the structural building envelope. TEB-GREENROOF (v7.3) is therefore able to represent the impact of climate forcings on the functioning of the green roof vegetation and, conversely, the influence of the green roof on the local climate. A calibration exercise to adjust the model to the peculiar hydrological characteristics of the substrates and drainage layers commonly found on green roofs is performed for a case study located in Nancy (France) which consists of an extensive green roof with sedums. Model results for the optimum hydrological calibration show a good dynamics for the substrate water content which is nevertheless under-estimated but without impacting too much the green roof temperatures since they present a good agreement with observations. These results are encouraging with regard to modelling the impact of green roofs on thermal indoor comfort and energy consumption at the scale of cities, for which GREENROOF will be running with the building energy version of TEB, TEB-BEM. Moreover, the green roof studied for GREENROOF evaluation being a city-widespread type of extensive green roof, the hydrological characteristics derived through the evaluation exercise will be used as the standard configuration to model extensive green roofs at the scale of cities.

scholarly journals Transient thermal response of opaque building envelope elements: EPFL campus case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2042 (1) ◽  
pp. 012080
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rahiminejad ◽  
Cécile Berquand ◽  
Dolaana Khovalyg
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
Thermal Response ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Time Shift ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The building envelope acts as a shield against varying weather conditions and modulates thermal energy flow between outdoors and indoors. The choice of layers used in the assembly impacts the heat loss and gain through the wall structure and potentially can affect the comfort indoors. Thus, the building envelope plays an essential role in the thermal performance of the building. Optimizing the cladding design in the envelope has recently become increasingly important to reach sustainable development strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This paper aims to analyze several cladding types used on the EPFL campus in Lausanne and compare their impact on the energy performance of the building envelopes. The building assemblies constructed on the EPFL campus in different years vary in composition and thermo-physical properties of the layers used. The impact of these parameters on the thermal performance of the wall assembly is evaluated by comparing the variation of heat flux and temperature fluctuations within the wall structure. The results obtained highlight the importance of the building envelope layers and materials used in the wall structure. Due to the variations in the thermal inertia of different wall assemblies, a time shift of more than 3 hours in the transient response of the building envelope to the fluctuation of the outdoor weather conditions is observed.

Impact of roof shading on building energy performance in warm & humid climatic places of India

2020 ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
Kuladeep Kumar Sadevi ◽  
Avlokita Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
General Assumption ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Passive Cooling ◽  
Base Case ◽  
U Value ◽  
The Impact

With the rise in awareness of energy efficient buildings and adoption of mandatory energy conservation codes across the globe, significant change is being observed in the way the buildings are designed. With the launch of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in India, climate responsive designs and passive cooling techniques are being explored increasingly in building designs. Of all the building envelope components, roof surface has been identified as the most significant with respect to the heat gain due to the incident solar radiation on buildings, especially in tropical climatic conditions. Since ECBC specifies stringent U-Values for roof assembly, use of insulating materials is becoming popular. Along with insulation, the shading of the roof is also observed to be an important strategy for improving thermal performance of the building, especially in Warm and humid climatic conditions. This study intends to assess the impact of roof shading on building’s energy performance in comparison to that of exposed roof with insulation. A typical office building with specific geometry and schedules has been identified as base case model for this study. This building is simulated using energy modelling software ‘Design Builder’ with base case parameters as prescribed in ECBC. Further, the same building has been simulated parametrically adjusting the amount of roof insulation and roof shading simultaneously. The overall energy consumption and the envelope performance of the top floor are extracted for analysis. The results indicate that the roof shading is an effective passive cooling strategy for both naturally ventilated and air conditioned buildings in Warm and humid climates of India. It is also observed that a fully shaded roof outperforms the insulated roof as per ECBC prescription. Provision of shading over roof reduces the annual energy consumption of building in case of both insulated and uninsulated roofs. However, the impact is higher for uninsulated roofs (U-Value of 3.933 W/m2K), being 4.18% as compared to 0.59% for insulated roofs (U-Value of 0.33 W/m2K).While the general assumption is that roof insulation helps in reducing the energy consumption in tropical buildings, it is observed to be the other way when insulation is provided with roof shading. It is due to restricted heat loss during night.

scholarly journals Seismic Performance of a Green Roof Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4278
Author(s):  
Svetlana Tam ◽  
Jenna Wong
Keyword(s):  
Green Roof ◽  
Time History ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Moment Frame ◽  
Steel Moment Frame ◽  
Roof Structure ◽  
Nonlinear Time History Analyses ◽  
Vegetated Roofs ◽  
Nonlinear Time History ◽  
The Impact

Sustainability addresses the need to reduce the structure’s impact on the environment but does not reduce the environment’s impact on the structure. To explore this relationship, this study focuses on quantifying the impact of green roofs or vegetated roofs on seismic responses such as story displacements, interstory drifts, and floor level accelerations. Using an archetype three-story steel moment frame, nonlinear time history analyses are conducted in OpenSees for a shallow and deep green roof using a suite of ground motions from various distances from the fault to identify key trends and sensitivities in response.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF THERMAL PERFORMANCE ON THE ROOF SURFACE TO ENERGY EFFICIENT OF HIGH-RISE BUILDING IN THE TROPICAL REGION

Arsitektura ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Sri Yuliani ◽  
Wiwik Setyaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Heat Load ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
High Rise ◽  
High Rise Building ◽  
Real Model ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

<p class="Abstract"><em>The surface temperature of the building material may release a heat load in the micro-environment. The largest building envelope receives the heat load of solar radiation is the roof. The strategic roof position at the top of the building has the opportunity to radiate heat received into the environment. Heat emissions lead to rising temperatures, so it is necessary to lower the temperature in micro-environment. When the heat of the building is not lowered will lead to an increase in the urban heat island (UHI). The objective of the study was to find the relationship between the thermal performance of the roof of the building and the energy efficiency in the high-rise building, in order to establish efficient thermal comfort. The research method uses experimental way in real model which is in Surakarta City, as humid tropical climate area. The result of the study is a comparison of the heat performance of three roofing materials which would later recommend the criteria of energy efficient roof for high buildings.</em><em></em></p>

scholarly journals Effects of Extensive Green Roofs on Energy Performance of School Buildings in Four North American Climates

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Mahmoodzadeh ◽  
Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya ◽  
Caterina Valeo
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Plant Height ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Soil Thickness ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Roof Design

A comprehensive parametric analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of the green roof design parameters on the thermal or energy performance of a secondary school building in four distinctively different climate zones in North America (i.e., Toronto, ON, Canada; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Las Vegas, NV, USA and Miami, FL, USA). Soil moisture content, soil thermal properties, leaf area index, plant height, leaf albedo, thermal insulation thickness and soil thickness were used as design variables. Optimal parameters of green roofs were found to be functionally related to meteorological conditions in each city. In terms of energy savings, the results showed that the light-weight substrate had better thermal performance for the uninsulated green roof. Additionally, the recommended soil thickness and leaf area index for all four cities were 15 cm and 5 respectively. The optimal plant height for the cooling dominated climates is 30 cm and for the heating dominated cities is 10 cm. The plant albedo had the least impact on the energy consumption while it was effective in mitigating the heat island effect. Finally, unlike the cooling load, which was largely influenced by the substrate and vegetation, the heating load was considerably affected by the thermal insulation instead of green roof design parameters.

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