Impact of green walls occultation on energy balance: Development of a TRNSYS model on a brick masonry house

Abstract

Most thermal simulations of buildings do not include green walls during thermal calculations. This study integrates and evaluates the effect of extensive green walls (GWs) on the energy balance of buildings using a global code of dynamic thermal simulation of buildings under TRNSYS. The first part presents the equations integrated in the model. A description of the dynamic thermal simulation software is carried out as well as the methods of integration of the developed model. Then, the modeling of the influence of GW (Ivy or Virginia Creeper) on a more global scale is detailed. It highlights the thermal and energy impact of GWs in winter and summer on a brick house located in Lille in France. This is a concrete case of representation of an existing residential building in an urban environment to help thermal design offices to take them into account in the simulations. It has been shown that the presence of vegetation protects the facades against summer overheating and therefore reduces the energy requirements for air conditioning. In winter, the use of deciduous plants on facades exposed to the sun makes it possible to benefit from solar radiation and limit the demand for energy for heating. Finally, the GWs technique is more suitable for the thermal renovation of weakly insulated buildings.