The Energy Performance of Green Roof in Sub-arctic Climate

Abstract

Green roofs are complex technology systems, adopting a vegetation layer on the outermost surface of the building shell. A proper design implement environmental and energy benefits. Green roof are aimed to reduce roof temperature and thus the summer solar gains, without worsening the winter energy performance. Most studies evaluating green roof performance have been conducted in warmer climates. There are very limited studies of green roofs in cold climate. Some research has investigated the thermal effect of the snow layer on green roof. But no study has so far evaluated the energy performance of green roof in sub-arctic climate. This study evaluates the heat flow and thermal effect on a green roof situated on a passive house building in the sub-arctic town Kiruna, Sweden for a period from 25th of October—4th of January. The ongoing measurements of temperature and heat flux is done on an extensive green roof and compared to the same roof covered solely by a roofing felt layer. The fluctuation in temperature was consistently higher for the roof with the roofing felt layer than for the green roof. But the surface temperature of both roofs was getting more and more align as the roofs are covered by snow during November and December. However during December month the green roof had a higher heat flux out of the building compared to the black roof.