Researchers at the University of Plymouth in England are studying how utilizing living walls can reduce heating and cooling costs in older buildings. A pre-1970’s building (called the Sustainability Hub) on campus was retrofitted with flexible fabric sheet systems with pockets allowing for soil and planting. After 5 weeks of measurements, the heat loss in the living wall was 31.4% lower than the original structure. They also noted that daytime temperatures within the covered section remained more stable than area with exposed masonry, with lower heating costs.
The study in Building and Environment is one of the first to ascertain the thermal influence of living walls in temperate climates and was conducted by the University’s Sustainable Earth Institute. According to their research, 17% of UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are the result of buildings and space heating accounts for 60% of the energy used in buildings. Using living walls can significantly reduce this and help the UK meet its goal of being net-zero carbon by 2050. Dr. Thomas Murphy, one of the study’s authors commented on the other benefits – “Living walls can offer improved air quality, noise reduction, and elevated health and well-being.” Research continues on the best types of plants and soils to maximize energy savings. – Steve Terry, DTC HVAC & Refrigeration Instructor
