ARTICLE IN PRESS

Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 173177 www.elsevier.com/locate/renene

Technical Note

On the green roof system. Selection, state of the art and energy potential investigation of a system installed in an ofce building in Athens, Greece
A. Spalaa, H.S. Bagiorgasa, M.N. Assimakopoulosb, J. Kalavrouziotisa, D. Matthopoulosa, G. Mihalakakoua,
a

Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, 2 G. Sepheri Street, 30100 Agrinio, Greece b Department of Physics, Division of Applied Physics, Laboratory of Meteorology, University of Athens, University Campus, Build. Phys V, 15784 Athens, Greece Received 2 June 2006; accepted 14 March 2007 Available online 11 May 2007

Abstract A detailed and integrated presentation of the green roof systems is provided in the present paper. Aiming to analyse a specic urban case study, we describe the basic architectural and scientic principles that characterize its performance and efciency. Furthermore, a state of the art presentation of the system is provided, including the presentation of several case studies as well as a selection and description of plants that usually are extensively used in the green roof system all over the world. Energy and environmental investigation data of the green roof system performance in an ofce building located in the greater Athens area are provided. The energy efciency was examined by calculating the energy savings through an accurate dynamic mathematical model. The thermal performance investigation showed a signicant reduction of the buildings cooling load during the summer period arriving at approximately 40%. Moreover, the inuence of the green roof system in the buildings heating load was fount insignicant, and this can be regarded as a great advantage of the system as any interference in the building shell for the reduction of cooling load leads usually to an increase of its heating load. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Green roof systems; Passive cooling; Plant selection for green roof systems; Energy efciency in buildings

1. Introduction A green roof is a lightweight, engineered roong system that allows for the propagation of rooftop vegetation while protecting the integrity of the underlying roof [1]. The installation of green roof on the buildings is technically and practically well established in USA, Japan and Europe and, particularly, in Germany and Sweden. Green roofs can offer a sustainable green surface by improving urban climate, minimising heat island effects and simultaneously protecting biodiversity. Plants have a strong effect on climate. Flora protects buildings from solar radiation in the urban environment by offering an aesthetically agreeable shading, controls temperature and
Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 26 41 07 41 02; fax: +30 26 41 03 37 16. E-mail address: pmichala@cc.uoi.gr (G. Mihalakakou).

humidity of the outdoor and indoor environment and supplies additional protection to building from winds. In closed spaces with planted roofs, the air temperature beneath the plants, during summer time, is lower than that of the air above [2]. Plants also help mitigate the greenhouse effect, lter pollutants, mask noise, prevent erosion and calm their human observers. Shading from trees is an effective way to minimise the cooling load of a building [3,4]. The difference between a conventional bare roof of a building and a planted roof can be considered qualitative and quantitative. The process of heat transfer into the planted roof is totally different. Solar radiation, the external temperature and the relative humidity are reduced as they pass through ora that covers the roof. The plants with their biological functions, such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration and evaporation absorb a signicant proportion the solar radiation [5].

0960-1481/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2007.03.022

ARTICLE IN PRESS
174 A. Spala et al. / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 173177

Green roofs present a very effective and positive impact on the urban climate and microclimate as well as on the indoor climate of buildings beneath them. Apart from solar protection and shading they signicantly contribute to air purication and urban heat island effect reduction. Research on the thermal performance of buildings equipped with the green roof system, on the green roofs thermal properties and conguration parameters, on vegetation covers effectiveness as well as on the systems implementation has gained ground during the last years [69]. A green roof system can provide shading and protection from solar radiation during the cooling period of the year, minimise the buildings energy consumption especially during summer period, produce ltration of polluted air in the urban environment, ameliorate the urban heat island effect, improve microclimate, create wide space for recreation, etc. This study has as main objectives primarily to give an integrated presentation of the state of the art on green roof systems and plants selection and secondly to investigate the energy potential of an ofce building equipped with a green roof system located in the greater Athens area by calculating its energy consumption during both winter and summer period using an accurate mathematical model. 2. Plants selectionstate of the art The implementation and installation of green roof systems on buildings is widely known all over the world offering a sustainable green surface for improving microclimate to public benet while simultaneously contributing to biodiversity protection [10]. Green roofs can be distinguished in two categories: (a) Intensive, which are characterized by a deep territorial stratum in order to face the large number and variety of plant species that results to disadvantage due to the requirement for methodic maintenance. (b) Extensive, which are characterized by a lightweight of territorial stratum that requires small maintenance. The structural installation design of green roof can change. The diagonal piece of green roof starts from the lowest point with a waterproof membrane in order to protect the building from the leakages, an isolation mattress and a protective one to prevent losses from the penetration of roots or other structural movement (Fig. 1). Selecting the plant species for a green roof is an important issue. Graft planting or seed sowing in the soil bed are usually applied in the case of herbaceous plants, while when rooted grafts are to be used planting takes place in specically arranged areas of the soil bed [11]. Perfect rate of herbaceous versus evergreen plants contributes to the development of varicoloured gardens with aesthetic and environmental benets. Green roofs, depending on the total area included, consist of various

Fig. 1. The layers of a green roof system from the roof to the plants.

Table 1 Plant species suitable for green roof, their owering seasons, the desired soil type and their nal height Plant species Flowering season Soil type Final height in cm 4060 210 4050 1545 1020 715 1540 3060 3080 815

1. Lavendula vera 2. Sedium acre 3. Erica spp. 4. Dianthus deltoides 5. Armeria maritima 6. Bellis perennis 7. Campanula rotundifolia 8. Saponaria ofcinalis 9. Linaria vulgaris 10. Primula vulgaris

Summer JuneJuly All the seasons JuneSeptember AprilMay MarchApril JulySeptember JuneSeptember JulyOctober MarchJune

Well drained Well drained Acid Well drained All the types Well drained Well drained Well drained All the types All the types

trees, bushes, ower parterres and various other formations, such as lakes. The selection of plant species to be established in green roofs depends on the desired nal plant height, on their owering period as well as on the type of soil these particular plants desire. Table 1 shows different plant species suitable for green roof systems, their owering seasons, the desired soil type and their nal height, while Table 2 depicts the plant species suitable for Mediterranean climates. Conservation of green roofs as regards plants is a very important process. The relatively large plants should be pruned appropriately so that they are secured against strong winds while inspection and spouts unclogging is necessary in order to avoid undesired situations due to inefcient drainage. The optimal design of green roof systems includes the cancellation of irrigation by cultivation of vegetation that resists to drying. The more ofcial species of cultivations need an irrigation system. Rainwater can be concentrated by the drainage of the roof system and is used for the necessary irrigation [12].

ARTICLE IN PRESS
A. Spala et al. / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 173177 Table 2 Plant species suitable for Mediterranean Plant species Flowering season Soil type Final height in cm 8090 6070 8090 5070 4060 4060 4050 8090 6070 8090 175

in Table 3. For the better estimation of the system parameters used in the simulations the following assumptions, regarding the green roof installation, were taken into account: (a) The stonewool (Table 3) is a hydroponic material that acts as a water store inside the system. In our simulations the thermal conductivity coefcient of stonewall is equal to the one of water and was given the value of 0.58 W/m K. (b) The thermal resistance of waterproong and geotextile layers was considered to be very small and it was not taken into account. (c) The plant-covering coefcient, which is the percentage of roof covered by the green roof system, was equal to 60%. Windows cover the 15% of buildings surface area in each oor. All windows are double glazed with metal frames. The building is heated, cooled and ventilated by mechanical and electrical equipment; while for articial lighting uorescent lamps are used. The inltration rate was considered to be between 0.2 and 0.5 air changes per hour while the ventilation rate for the experimental time period was between 1 and 1.5 air changes per hour. The ground oor has 15 occupants while the rst oor 13 occupants. 3.2. Thermal performance investigationimpact of the green roof system on the buildings thermal behavior The thermal performance of the previously described ofce building, equipped with the green roof system, was simulated using TRNSYS program [13]. TRNSYS is a transient system simulation environment with modular structure, which facilitates the addition to the programme of mathematical models not included in the standard TRNSYS library. Using this dynamic simulation program, the thermal performance of any building can be calculated. The main inputs to the program were the following:

1. Nerium oleander 2. Pyracantha sp. 3. Myoporum sp. 4. Cotoneaster franchetti 5. Hibiscus syriacus 6. Cassia corymbosa 7. Spiraea thumbergii 8. Pyracantha sp. 9. Myoporum sp. 10. Cotoneaster franchetti

SummerAutumn Spring Spring Spring SummerAutumn SummerAutumn Spring SummerAutumn Spring Spring

All types Well drained Acid Well drained Well drained Well drained All types All types Well drained Acid

Fig. 2 shows a green roof system installed in a nursery school building in Athens, Greece in 2002 using a camera for infrared photographs. The space thermograph, in other words, a photographic temperature distribution in the specic place, in the long-wave radiation part of the spectrum is shown in Fig. 2a. Every colour represents a different temperature range according to the scaling on its right side. Meanwhile, the respective visual photo of the specic place is shown in Fig. 2b. Thus, it is possible to have the exact position of the visualised space. 3. A case study in the greater Athens area The thermal performance of an ofce building was simulated using an accurate mathematical approach primarily without the green roof system and furthermore after its installation in order to calculated the impact of the system on the buildings energy consumption. 3.1. Description of the building The ofce building is located in a not densely populated northeastern suburb of the city of Athens, where trafc is rather low. It stands by itself and all its facades are exposed. It is a two-storey rectangular building with horizontal roof approximately 70 cm elevated from the ground. Both the ground and the rst oor of the building have a surface of 210 m2. The buildings aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the buildings height over its width, is equal to 0.58. The external and internal walls are made out of double brick with expanded polystyrene insulation and a thin layer of cement sheet in both internal and external surface of all walls. The oor is made of tiles over reinforced concrete bed. The green roof system installed on the roof of the building is made of materials described

   

buildings construction elements, buildings geometric elements, main meteorological elements (ambient temperature, relative humidity, total radiation, etc.), buildings internal gains (lighting, occupancy, electric equipment, etc.).

Moreover, a large number of data including inltration and ventilation rate, heating and cooling systems, etc., were taken into account. The main outputs of TRNSYS program are the indoor air temperature at each buildings thermal zone and the heating and cooling load, that is to say the buildings energy consumption. The buildings energy consumption was calculated for both summer and winter period before and after installing

ARTICLE IN PRESS
176 A. Spala et al. / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 173177

Fig. 2. (a) The space thermograph after the installation of the green roof system in the long-wave radiation part of the spectrum. (b) The visual photograph of the specic place.

Table 3 Materials of the green roof system Green roof layers from outside to inside Plants Local wild plants are picked based on: (a) length of blooming (b) site conditions (c) water and care demands Substrate mixes are chosen based on their nutritive qualities, and minimal weight Distributes water efciently. Its placement minimizes evaporative losses Hydroponic stonewool is a good growing medium for plants. It is also light and has a very good water storage capacity Acts as a drainage layer and protects the waterproong membrane Polymeric membrane: acts both as a secure watertight layer and as an impenetrable root repellent Protects water proong membrane from wear and tear against roof

Soil substrate Irrigation system Stonewool

Geotextile Waterproong Geotextile

the green roof system. The roof of the building before the installation of the green roof was made of reinforced concrete with polystyrene insulation. The meteorological data, (air temperature, total and diffuse solar radiation, and relative humidity), of the buildings area for the randomly selected year 2003 were used as inputs to the program. The set point temperature values were considered to be equal to 21 1C for the heating period and 27 1C for the cooling period of the year. The outputs of the program were, primarily, the cooling load of the building for the summer period, for the whole building as well as for the last oor (which is closer to the green roof system) and, secondly, the heating load of the building for the winter period, for the whole building and for the last oor. Table 4 depicts the cooling load variation as a percentage (%), because of the use of the green roof system, for the whole building and for its last oor. The recorded negative

ARTICLE IN PRESS
A. Spala et al. / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 173177 Table 4 The cooling load variation as a percentage (%), for the whole building and for its last oor Month Cooling load variation (%) for the whole building Cooling load variation (%) for the last oor 177

January February March April May June July August September October November December

29 39 30 15 16

46 58 48 31 27

month of March for the whole building while for the last oor, the corresponding increase arrived at 16% for the month of December. Moreover, the observed decrease of heating load uctuated between 2% and 8% for the whole building and between 5% and 17% for the last oor of the building. Therefore, the heating load variation, caused by the green roof installation, was quite small and thus, the inuence of the system on the heating load during the winter period is not signicant. This can be considered a quite encouraging result as, usually, any interference aiming at reducing the cooling load of a building, causes an increase of its heating load.

4. Concluding remarks A state of the art and a plants selection analysis of the green roof system was described in the present study. Moreover, an energy performance investigation was carried out for a specic case study in an ofce building located in the greater Athens area. Simulations showed that the implementation and installation of the green roof system in the ofce building presents a signicant contribution to the energy saving, especially because of the estimated remarkable reduction of the buildings cooling load during the summer period. Additionally, the impact of the green roof system on the heating load during the winter period is not signicant.

Table 5 The heating load variation as a percentage (%), for the whole building, as well as for its last oor Month Heating load variation (%) for the whole building 1 2 7 6 Heating load variation (%) for the last oor 4 5 15 14

January February March April May June July August September October November December

References
[1] Earth pledge foundation, 2002 (earth pledge green roofs initiative.htm). [2] Niachou K, Papakonstantinou K, Santamouris M, Tsagrassoulis A, Mihalakakou G. Analysis of the green roof properties and investigation of its energy performance. Energy Build 2001;33:71929. [3] Ferrante A, Mihalakakou G. The inuence of water, green and selective passive techniques on the rehabilitation of historical industrial buildings in urban areas. Sol Energy 2001;50:24553. [4] Akbari H, Kurn DM, Bretz SE, Hanford JW. Peak power and cooling energy savings of shade trees. Energy Build 1997;25:13948. [5] Kruche P, Althaus D, Gabriel I, Okologisches Baun, Herausgegeben vom Umweltbundesampt, Wiesbaden und Berlin Bauverlag, 1982. [6] Cappelli M, Cianfrini C, Corcicone M. Effects of vegetation roof on indoor temperatures. Heat Environ 1998;16(2):8590. [7] Palomo E. Roof components models simplication via statistical linearization and model reduction techniques. Energy Build 1999;29(3):25981. [8] Dominguez J, Lozano A. Green Roof Systems. Comput Mech Publ 1998;1:61524. [9] Good W. Factors in planted roof design. Constr Specif 1990;43(11): 132. [10] http://www.cityoondon.gov.uk. [11] http://www.greenroofs.com. [12] Kalavrouziotis IK, Drakatos PA. Designing and management of processed wastewaters in Greek dessert areas. ASME-Greek section. In: First National Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Engineering, September 1720, University of PatrasGreece, 2001. [13] TRNSYS 15.1 A transient system simulation program developed from solar energy laboratory. University of Wisconcin-Madison and Transsolar of Stuttgart, 2002 (http://www.trnsys.com/).

8 3 5

17 7 16

values correspond to a decrease in cooling load. A remarkable reduction in cooling load during the summer period of the year after the green roof systems installation is noted and thus, a signicant energy saving is observed due to the green roof system. Thus, the cooling load reduction uctuated for the whole building between 15% and 39% while for the last oor the reduction reached the 58%. Therefore, because of the achieved energy saving, the green roof system can be used for passive cooling purposes apart from its effective inuence on microclimate. Similarly, Table 5 depicts the heating load variation as a percentage (%), because of the use of the green roof system, for the whole building as well as for the last oor. Again, the observed negative values correspond to a decrease in heating load. As shown, a small increase was observed for some of the winter months as well as an also small decrease was achieved for the remaining months of the heating period. The observed increase of heating load because of the green roof system arrived up to 7% for the