Thermal Balance of Ventilated Façades in Winter and Summer: Green vs. Cladding

Abstract

The application of vegetation to building structures is becoming an increasingly hot topic for mitigating the negative effects of summer overheating. The benefits are particularly significant in the summer months, extending also into the colder months of the year. Few papers are devoted to analysing the effects during the winter months. This paper demonstrates the results of comparing facades with vegetated walls and wood cladding in winter and summer. The measured results indicated that a vegetated façade effectively cools the surrounding space during the summer months and retains heat throughout the winter months.