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A Comparison of Energy and Thermal Performance of Rooftop Greenhouses and Green Roofs in Mediterranean Climate: A Hygrothermal Assessment in WUFI

Author

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  • Mansoureh Gholami

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

  • Alberto Barbaresi

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

  • Patrizia Tassinari

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

  • Marco Bovo

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

  • Daniele Torreggiani

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

In urban areas, a considerable proportion of energy demand is allocated to buildings. Since rooftops constitute one-fourth of all urban surfaces, an increasing amount of attention is paid to achieving the most efficient shapes and component designs compatible with every climate and urban context, for rooftops of varying sizes. In this study, three types of rooftop technologies, namely insulated, green roof, and rooftop greenhouse, are evaluated for energy and thermal performance using computer simulations. Water surface exposure, absorption, and intrusion are the three important factors in the calculation of hygrothermal models that impact energy consumption and building envelope performance; however, a few studies are specifically focused on providing realistic results in multi-dimensional hygrothermal models and the assessment of the impact of moisture in roofing solutions. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of three different roofing technologies through a two-dimensional hygrothermal simulation in software WUFI. To accomplish this, a precise localized microclimate model of a complex urban context on the scale of a neighborhood was employed to evaluate the cooling and heating loads of the buildings, the impact of the water content in the green roof on the thermal behavior of the roof surface, and the feasibility of designing a building with nearly zero cooling needs. A two-story building in the city center of Bologna, Italy is modelled. Simulation results have shown that during the cooling period, the performance of the designed rooftop greenhouse is the most effective by 50% reduction in cooling loads. Besides, the impact of moisture in green roofs has been detected as a negative factor for thermal and energy performance of the building in the Mediterranean climate. The results ultimately highlighted the capability of passively-designed rooftop greenhouses to create a building with nearly zero cooling needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mansoureh Gholami & Alberto Barbaresi & Patrizia Tassinari & Marco Bovo & Daniele Torreggiani, 2020. "A Comparison of Energy and Thermal Performance of Rooftop Greenhouses and Green Roofs in Mediterranean Climate: A Hygrothermal Assessment in WUFI," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:8:p:2030-:d:347585
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Martina Dell’Unto & Louise-Nour Sassenou & Lorenzo Olivieri & Francesca Olivieri, 2023. "Technical Feasibility for the Boosting of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in Existing Mediterranean Districts: A Methodology and Case Study in Alcorcón, Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    2. J. Ignacio Tello & Lourdes Tello & María Luisa Vilar, 2020. "On the Existence of Solutions of a Two-Layer Green Roof Mathematical Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Costantino, Andrea & Comba, Lorenzo & Sicardi, Giacomo & Bariani, Mauro & Fabrizio, Enrico, 2021. "Energy performance and climate control in mechanically ventilated greenhouses: A dynamic modelling-based assessment and investigation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    4. Renata Rapisarda & Francesco Nocera & Vincenzo Costanzo & Gaetano Sciuto & Rosa Caponetto, 2022. "Hydroponic Green Roof Systems as an Alternative to Traditional Pond and Green Roofs: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-27, March.
    5. Mansoureh Gholami & Daniele Torreggiani & Patrizia Tassinari & Alberto Barbaresi, 2022. "Developing a 3D City Digital Twin: Enhancing Walkability through a Green Pedestrian Network (GPN) in the City of Imola, Italy," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Moreno, Álex & Chemisana, Daniel & Lamnatou, Chrysovalantou & Maestro, Santiago, 2023. "Energy and photosynthetic performance investigation of a semitransparent photovoltaic rooftop greenhouse for building integration," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    7. Drottberger, Annie & Zhang, Yizhi & Yong, Jean Wan Hong & Dubois, Marie-Claude, 2023. "Urban farming with rooftop greenhouses: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    8. He, Q. & Tapia, F. & Reith, A., 2023. "Quantifying the influence of nature-based solutions on building cooling and heating energy demand: A climate specific review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    9. Bruno, Roberto & Bevilacqua, Piero, 2022. "Heat and mass transfer for the U-value assessment of opaque walls in the Mediterranean climate: Energy implications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).

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