Retrofitting an existing masonry cavity walled building with a green or living wall can reduce the amount of heat lost through its structure by more than 30%, according to new research.
The study, conducted at the University of Plymouth, centred around the Sustainability Hub - a pre-1970s building on the university campus - and compared how effectively two sections of its walls retained heat.
Despite being on the same west-facing elevation, one of those sections had been retrofitted with an exterior living wall façade, comprised of a flexible felt fabric sheet system with pockets allowing for soil and planting.
After five weeks of measurements, researchers found the amount of heat lost through the wall retrofitted with the living façade was 31.4% lower than that of the original structure.
They also discovered daytime temperatures within the newly-covered section remained more stable than the area with exposed masonry, meaning less energy was required to heat it.
- The full study - Fox et al., Living wall systems for improved thermal performance of existing buildings - is published in Building and Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108491.
Sustainability Hub: Low Carbon Devon
The Sustainability Hub: Low Carbon Devon project provides an exciting new catalyst for low-carbon economic growth in Devon.
Supported by an investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the three-year £2.6 million programme, will support Devon-based organisations to access research, business support, and engage with the University of Plymouth around the low-carbon agenda.
Sustainable Earth Institute
The Sustainable Earth Institute is about promoting a new way of thinking about the future of our world.
We bring researchers together with businesses, community groups and individuals to develop cutting-edge research and innovative approaches that build resilience to global challenges.
We link diverse research areas across the University including science, engineering, arts, humanities, health and business.
