Thermal insulation characteristics of green wall systems using different growing media

Abstract

This study was carried out in order to reveal the usability of municipal and agricultural origin organic wastes as a growing media in green wall applications and to examine the effects of this use on thermal insulation. For this purpose, the growing media were prepared by mixing the main materials, peat and municipal solid waste compost, with 12.5, 25, 50% (v/v) of rice hull and perlite. Some physical properties of the prepared growing media were examined and it was determined that the compost was composed of very small particles, its volume weight was high, and its porosity could not provide the desired values in ideal growing media. When these values are mixed with rice hull and perlite, it has been determined that they approach the ideal values. However, in order to determine the thermal effects were constructed model test buildings (100 × 100 × 100 cm) made of concrete panels (200 mm) and the green wall system was installed.A model building without green walls was used as a control application. The temperature measurements were carried out in green wall applications with and without plants. The results obtained in growing media containing compost are similar to those using peat. In addition, the highest thermal isolation effect was found in the growing media consisting of peat and perlite mixture. When all the obtained results are examined together, it is concluded that the green wall applications have an important role in providing thermal insulation of model buildings, besides the shading provided by the plants, the growing media also plays an important role.