Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs
The presence of green roofs in urban areas improves the energy efficiency of buildings; contributes to the capture of CO<sub>2</sub>, decreasing pollution; and improves the appearance of cities, increasing their sustainability. Additionally, green roofs must include plant species with lo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/846 |
| _version_ | 1797487628941000704 |
|---|---|
| author | Gonzalo Gurrea-Ysasi Vicente Blanca-Giménez Pascual Fernández de Córdova Carles Cortés-Olmos Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo Inmaculada C. Fita |
| author_facet | Gonzalo Gurrea-Ysasi Vicente Blanca-Giménez Pascual Fernández de Córdova Carles Cortés-Olmos Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo Inmaculada C. Fita |
| author_sort | Gonzalo Gurrea-Ysasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of green roofs in urban areas improves the energy efficiency of buildings; contributes to the capture of CO<sub>2</sub>, decreasing pollution; and improves the appearance of cities, increasing their sustainability. Additionally, green roofs must include plant species with low requirements and maintenance, and thus, succulent species could be useful in Mediterranean semi-arid regions. In this work, the thermal inertia and the effect of different succulent species as thermal barriers on mitigating the increase in temperature inside experimental compartments were studied in comparison to conventional covers used in the Spanish Mediterranean for a whole year. In general, green covers were more efficient than conventional ones for controlling temperature. Thus, temperatures under green covers were up to 8 °C lower than conventional covers and 3–5 °C lower than the ambient temperature at noon on summer days. Furthermore, significant differences were found between green covers. Thus, despite having high thermal inertia, <i>Aptenia cordifolia</i> showed the worst temperature records, while <i>Aeonium arboreum</i> was the most efficient at mitigating temperature changes both on cold winter nights and hot summer days—even better than <i>Sedum</i> spp., a usual succulent used commercially. Our results demonstrate that succulent species are efficient materials to use as green covers to improve thermal conditions in buildings in Mediterranean cities. This also suggests that the mixture of succulent species (i.e., not only made of <i>Sedum</i> spp.) with different colors and textures could beautify green roofs without compromising their energy efficiency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:50:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40d124795c464e4caab5ad7670b5bed5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:50:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-40d124795c464e4caab5ad7670b5bed52023-11-23T16:34:36ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242022-09-018984610.3390/horticulturae8090846Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green RoofsGonzalo Gurrea-Ysasi0Vicente Blanca-Giménez1Pascual Fernández de Córdova2Carles Cortés-Olmos3Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo4Inmaculada C. Fita5Instituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainInstituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainInstituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainInstituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainInstituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainInstituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 València, SpainThe presence of green roofs in urban areas improves the energy efficiency of buildings; contributes to the capture of CO<sub>2</sub>, decreasing pollution; and improves the appearance of cities, increasing their sustainability. Additionally, green roofs must include plant species with low requirements and maintenance, and thus, succulent species could be useful in Mediterranean semi-arid regions. In this work, the thermal inertia and the effect of different succulent species as thermal barriers on mitigating the increase in temperature inside experimental compartments were studied in comparison to conventional covers used in the Spanish Mediterranean for a whole year. In general, green covers were more efficient than conventional ones for controlling temperature. Thus, temperatures under green covers were up to 8 °C lower than conventional covers and 3–5 °C lower than the ambient temperature at noon on summer days. Furthermore, significant differences were found between green covers. Thus, despite having high thermal inertia, <i>Aptenia cordifolia</i> showed the worst temperature records, while <i>Aeonium arboreum</i> was the most efficient at mitigating temperature changes both on cold winter nights and hot summer days—even better than <i>Sedum</i> spp., a usual succulent used commercially. Our results demonstrate that succulent species are efficient materials to use as green covers to improve thermal conditions in buildings in Mediterranean cities. This also suggests that the mixture of succulent species (i.e., not only made of <i>Sedum</i> spp.) with different colors and textures could beautify green roofs without compromising their energy efficiency.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/846buildingsgreen roofsheat mitigationthermal inertiaplant speciesurban areas |
| spellingShingle | Gonzalo Gurrea-Ysasi Vicente Blanca-Giménez Pascual Fernández de Córdova Carles Cortés-Olmos Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo Inmaculada C. Fita Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs Horticulturae buildings green roofs heat mitigation thermal inertia plant species urban areas |
| title | Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs |
| title_full | Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs |
| title_short | Comparative Study of Different <i>Crassulaceae</i> Species for Their Potential Use as Plant Covers to Improve Thermal Performance of Green Roofs |
| title_sort | comparative study of different i crassulaceae i species for their potential use as plant covers to improve thermal performance of green roofs |
| topic | buildings green roofs heat mitigation thermal inertia plant species urban areas |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/9/846 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gonzalogurreaysasi comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs AT vicenteblancagimenez comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs AT pascualfernandezdecordova comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs AT carlescortesolmos comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs AT adrianrodriguezburruezo comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs AT inmaculadacfita comparativestudyofdifferenticrassulaceaeispeciesfortheirpotentialuseasplantcoverstoimprovethermalperformanceofgreenroofs |