Análise do desempenho de jardins verticais como alternativa para melhoria do conforto térmico

Abstract

The reduction of green areas in cities, resulting from intense urbanization, has the consequence of increasing urban temperature and the formation of the phenomenon called “heat islands”. Vertical gardens, characterized by the use of vegetation as a wall covering, have the function of minimizing heat gain, improving thermal comfort in buildings, and reducing energy costs with air conditioning. Despite the numerous known benefits of using green roofs, such as reducing temperature and maintaining humidity, there are few studies on vertical gardens in Brazil. In this way, the study aims to collaborate with the dissemination of knowledge about this green infrastructure, which gained popularity at the beginning of the 21st century. The study was carried out from the installation of a vertical garden on an existing wall in the city of Toledo-PR, in which, during 24 days, the heat gain was measured compared to another in the identical conditions of sunshine, but without the vegetation. Also, the influence of vegetation on the humidity of the local air was verified. The results demonstrate that the use of the vertical garden provides maintenance of the superficial temperature of the wall, reducing its heat gain during the hottest hours by around 16°C. Therefore, the vertical garden proved to be an efficient sustainable alternative for improving thermal comfort in buildings.