New research shows: 'Living wall' reduces heat loss from buildings by 30%

New research from the University of Plymouth could help change the way we keep our homes warm and cool. In the test, the team used the wall of a motel built before the 70s as a monitoring target; they noticed a difference between the two study subjects, the normal wall and the 'living wall'.

In the study, the team used the term 'living wall' to refer to a wall covered with 'a flexible fabric system with open spaces that allow the placement of soil and vegetation'. In addition, living walls are no different from 'dead walls'.

Illustration of a "living wall".

The two walls are placed at the same height, facing the same direction. After 5 weeks of follow-up, the research team concluded: living walls lose less heat than normal walls about 31.4%, and the amplitude of thermal fluctuations during the day of living walls is also lower.

As the building retains heat, the amount of energy required to maintain a stable temperature is lower. The report also points to the effect of plants on improving air quality. This is good news for houses that often receive sunlight, facing the risk of heat loss.

The new discovery has the potential to improve the quality of life in hot climates. According to the report, 'by reducing the impact of sunlight on buildings, green walls can reduce the temperature in rooms by providing shade to the sun's face'. Plants can utilize part of the light energy for photosynthesis, thereby reflecting less heat on the building.

In conclusion, the study claims that 'continued monitoring of the experiment will uncover the effect of annual wall growth on thermoregulatory performance'. At the same time, the team claims that future studies can seek to improve today's conclusions, finding suitable plant species for living walls.