The impact of greenery systems on building energy: Systematic review

Abstract

During the last decade, greenery systems attract building designers for several public services such as the potential of energy savings in buildings. This literature review presents a systematic analysis of the impact of greenery systems on building energy use. The greenery systems are exterior to the building enclosure, resulting in a reduction of external surface temperature and heat transfer, particularly in certain climates. The review analyzed 56 articles from 2010 to early 2019. The revision criteria were based on eight measured indoors and outdoors parameters, the number of residents, and the amount of heat reduction or energy saving. It is found that not all the articles have measured all the environmental parameters, and few have conducted their research in an occupied place. However, the impact of solar radiation on building envelopes varies dramatically according to the seasonal and spatial variation, leaf area index of plants, and moisture retains in the plants. In addition, there are significant differences in laboratory and field studies of greenery systems, where less impact of greenery systems on energy use. In conclusion, greenery systems have a positive impact on saving energy, but they cannot replace air conditioning systems to maintain thermal comfort of residents, and other alternatives can provide promising solutions. More research should be conducted in real buildings with residents in different activities to have a comprehensive assessment of the impact of greenery systems.