Thermal performance of green envelopes in buildings in the Brazilian southeast

Abstract The evaluation of the thermal performance of buildings using green roofs, living walls or green walls as envelope protection elements is a very important tool for architects and engineers to minimize heat gain, provide better thermal condition and improve thermal performance. This paper presents three different studies of thermal performance of buildings with green cover: 1) a case study of a green roof, 2) an experimental study of a living wall, and 3) a case study of a green wall; all of which include comparative and concurrent measurements between exposed surfaces and surfaces protected by vegetation. The parameters measured were air temperature, relative humidity, air speed and mean radiant temperature, as well as the inner and outer temperature of the walls. Those analyses led to the conclusion that the use of vegetation as a protection element on roofs and façades acts positively on the heat flows in the envelope, representing an important tool for passive thermal control of high temperatures inside the buildings.