Sustainability 2017, 9(8), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081451
Substrate Depth, Vegetation and Irrigation Affect Green Roof Thermal Performance in a Mediterranean Type Climate
1
School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Blvd, Richmond 3070, Australia
2
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
3
CSIRO Land and Water, CSIRO, Clayton South Victoria 3169, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 June 2017 / Revised: 10 August 2017 / Accepted: 10 August 2017 / Published: 16 August 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation - ZEMCH 2016)
Abstract
Green roofs are consistently being used to reduce some of the negative environmental impacts of cities. The increasing interest in extensive green roofs requires refined studies on their design and operation, and on the effects of their relevant parameters on green roof thermal performance. The effects of two design parameters, substrate thickness (ST) and conductivity of dry soil (CDS), and four operating parameters, leaf area index (LAI), leaf reflectivity (LR), stomatal resistance (SR), and moisture content (MC), were investigated using the green roof computer model developed by Sailor in 2008. The computer simulations showed that among the operating parameters, LAI has the largest effects on thermal performance while CDS is a more influential design parameter than ST. Experimental investigations of non-vegetated and sparsely vegetated green roofs in Melbourne were principally used to understand the effect of the substrate and enable better understanding of dominant heat transfer mechanisms involved. Investigated green roofs had three substrate thicknesses (100, 150 and 200 mm), and their performance was compared to a bare conventional roof. In contrast to the computer simulations, the experimental results for summer and winter showed the importance of MC and ST in reducing the substrate temperature and heat flux through the green roof. View Full-TextKeywords:
green roof; substrate; thermal performance; heat flux; parametric analysis; sustainable buildings and cities; energy efficient buildings; climate change mitigation
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Pianella, A.; Aye, L.; Chen, Z.; Williams, N.S.G. Substrate Depth, Vegetation and Irrigation Affect Green Roof Thermal Performance in a Mediterranean Type Climate. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1451.
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