Impact of Vertical Greenery Systems on Indoor Comfort in Composite Climates: A Case-Control Experiment in Delhi, India
Irfan Haider Khan1,2, Taiyaba Munawer1
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India
Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1001 to 1011. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_96.
Abstract
Vertical greenery systems have gained attention for enhancing the thermal efficiency of buildings, with notable success in tropical and Mediterranean climates. However, their impact in composite climates, where seasonal variations are pronounced, especially on the indoor comfort of naturally ventilated buildings, has been less explored. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap through a targeted case-control experiment in Delhi, India, focusing on the monsoon season. The thermal behaviour of a building with a direct green facade is analysed and compared to that of a building with a conventional bare wall. This study, concentrating on both the wettest and hottest days of the monsoon season, reveals that green facades can lower indoor temperatures by up to 3 ℃ but also slightly elevate humidity levels, which compromises thermal comfort. However, the application of adaptive comfort standards, including ASHRAE-55 and the Indian Model for Adaptive Comfort (IMAC), indicates that green facades succeed in maintaining operative temperatures within a comfortable range. This investigation enriches our understanding of the dual effects of vertical greenery systems on temperature and humidity, offering a nuanced view of their potential to improve indoor environmental quality in composite climates. This highlights the complexities of integrating green facades in such climates and underscores their value and limitations in enhancing occupant comfort. Our findings pave the way for a more informed use of green facades, underscoring their strategic importance in architectural design for diverse climates.
Keywords
Session
Presented in Recorded Presentations, Session IV, Saturday 9 November 2024, 16:15 to 18:15, room WG 201, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Dat Doan.
How to Cite
Khan, I. H., & Munawer, T. (2025). Impact of Vertical Greenery Systems on Indoor Comfort in Composite Climates: A Case-Control Experiment in Delhi, India. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1001–1011). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_96
About the Conference
Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.