Utilizing a novel mobile diagnostics lab to validate the impact of vegetative wall coverings in building cooling load reduction
Date
2021
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IOP Publishing Ltd
Abstract
Building cooling loads are driven by heat gains through enclosures. This research identifies possible ways of reducing the building cooling loads through vegetative shading. Vegetative shading reduces heat gains by blocking radiation and by evaporative air cooling. Few measured data exist, so we gathered thermal data from a vegetative wall grown in front of a Mobile Diagnostics Lab (MDL), a trailer with one conditioned room with instrumentation that collects thermal data from heat flux sensors and thermistors within its walls. In spring 2020 a variety of plants were cultivated in a greenhouse and planted in front of the south façade of the MDL, which was placed in direct sunlight to collect heat flux data. The plants acted as a barrier for solar radiation and reduced the amount of thermal energy affecting the trailer surface. Data were collected through the use of 16 heat flux sensors and development of continuous infrared (IR) images indicating surface temperature with and without plant cover. The façade surface beneath the plants was 10-30 °C cooler than exposed façade areas. In further analyses, the heat-flux data were compared to IR temperature data.
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This conference paper is published as Fagbule, O., Patel, R., Passe, U., Thompson, J., Utilizing a novel mobile diagnostics lab to validate the impact of vegetative wall coverings in building cooling load reduction. Journal of Physics: Conference Series., 8th International Building Physics Conference. 25-27 August 2021, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2069(012126). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012126. Posted with permission.
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.