IMPACT OF GREEN WALLS ON INDOOR AIR HUMIDITY
(2023) AEBM01 20221Department of Architecture and Built Environment
Division of Energy and Building Design
- Abstract
- This thesis presents a case study of an indoor Green Wall (GW) installed in an office building in Malmö, Sweden. The study analyzed the effect of the GW on air humidity during low temperature and dry moisture outdoor conditions. The objective was to determine the green wall's indoor humidity contribution while enabling an adequate comparison before and after the GW installation, which requires defining an appropriate space to evaluate. Regarding temperature, humidity, and airflow variations, the office performs as a controlled system that employs an air handling unit (AHU) with an efficiency of up to 90% of humidity recovery (HR). The measurements began in September 2021 and ended 27 weeks later, in April 2022. The data was collected and... (More)
- This thesis presents a case study of an indoor Green Wall (GW) installed in an office building in Malmö, Sweden. The study analyzed the effect of the GW on air humidity during low temperature and dry moisture outdoor conditions. The objective was to determine the green wall's indoor humidity contribution while enabling an adequate comparison before and after the GW installation, which requires defining an appropriate space to evaluate. Regarding temperature, humidity, and airflow variations, the office performs as a controlled system that employs an air handling unit (AHU) with an efficiency of up to 90% of humidity recovery (HR). The measurements began in September 2021 and ended 27 weeks later, in April 2022. The data was collected and recorded using sensors previously installed at different points of the office, which were also helpful in identifying the humidity variations according to the proximity of the measuring devices to the GW installation. Subsequently, an analysis was carried out in different phases using Excel. One week of data-record represents the case conditions before, while three weeks represent the conditions after the installation. By establishing a similar scenario to compare, the measurements before and after GW installation were compared, conducting a further discussion. In addition, a brief assessment focused on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions was carried out to suggest a potential environmental reduction in a real-life building. The accuracy of the measurements was assessed by installing additional sensors in the office and AHU to compare the data collected from the ventilation sensors already found in the site study. Even though a few limitations were identified and described in this thesis, the results suggested that the GW installation positively impacts indoor humidity. The conclusions from this study are expected to lead us beyond further analysis in favor of indoor moisture content and building occupants' well-being. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Enable an adequate comparison before and after the GW installation requires defining an appropriate space for a fair evaluation. Regarding humidity, the conditions before and after the Green Wall were explored by establishing a similar scenario to compare, inside an office premise. Although the humidity difference experienced in the office might cease in the characteristics of the installed green structure, this study tested and analyzed the green wall´s humidity contribution according to the air variations. In the same vein, according to measurements and data collection, suggesting that the green installation positively impacts humidity in a real-life building.
Regarding the data collection, while considering outdoor temperature (°C),... (More) - Enable an adequate comparison before and after the GW installation requires defining an appropriate space for a fair evaluation. Regarding humidity, the conditions before and after the Green Wall were explored by establishing a similar scenario to compare, inside an office premise. Although the humidity difference experienced in the office might cease in the characteristics of the installed green structure, this study tested and analyzed the green wall´s humidity contribution according to the air variations. In the same vein, according to measurements and data collection, suggesting that the green installation positively impacts humidity in a real-life building.
Regarding the data collection, while considering outdoor temperature (°C), vapor ratio (g/kg), and airflow rate (l/s), the measurements given by sensor devices were carried out and recorded from Monday to Friday for 27 weeks, representing more than 3600 measurements for each study week. The main objective of the approach was to identify the most similar conditions before and after the GW installation to ensure a virtuous comparison. Although a few limitations were identified and described later in this thesis, the results obtained answered a set of interrogations, suggesting that humidity is positively affected inside the office due to the presence of the GW installation.
Humidity is essential when determining indoor air quality, occupants' comfort, and building energy consumption. Notwithstanding that, an appropriate range for a healthy and comfortable indoor environment is commonly recommended between 40% and 65% RH, low indoor humidity is a real issue in cold climates such as Sweden. This study hoped to advance knowledge and propitiate discussion about humidity and green walls technology. The conclusions from this study would lead us beyond further analysis in favor of building technology, occupants' comfort, and well-being. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9133359
- author
- Trejo Montes, Sahit LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Impact of Green Walls on indoor air humidity; a case study of a medium-sized office building in Malmö, Sweden.
- course
- AEBM01 20221
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Indoor-air humidity, green wall, low outdoor air temperature, ventilation system, environmental building design.
- language
- English
- id
- 9133359
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-07 10:29:24
- date last changed
- 2023-08-23 14:44:21
@misc{9133359,
abstract = {{This thesis presents a case study of an indoor Green Wall (GW) installed in an office building in Malmö, Sweden. The study analyzed the effect of the GW on air humidity during low temperature and dry moisture outdoor conditions. The objective was to determine the green wall's indoor humidity contribution while enabling an adequate comparison before and after the GW installation, which requires defining an appropriate space to evaluate. Regarding temperature, humidity, and airflow variations, the office performs as a controlled system that employs an air handling unit (AHU) with an efficiency of up to 90% of humidity recovery (HR). The measurements began in September 2021 and ended 27 weeks later, in April 2022. The data was collected and recorded using sensors previously installed at different points of the office, which were also helpful in identifying the humidity variations according to the proximity of the measuring devices to the GW installation. Subsequently, an analysis was carried out in different phases using Excel. One week of data-record represents the case conditions before, while three weeks represent the conditions after the installation. By establishing a similar scenario to compare, the measurements before and after GW installation were compared, conducting a further discussion. In addition, a brief assessment focused on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions was carried out to suggest a potential environmental reduction in a real-life building. The accuracy of the measurements was assessed by installing additional sensors in the office and AHU to compare the data collected from the ventilation sensors already found in the site study. Even though a few limitations were identified and described in this thesis, the results suggested that the GW installation positively impacts indoor humidity. The conclusions from this study are expected to lead us beyond further analysis in favor of indoor moisture content and building occupants' well-being.}},
author = {{Trejo Montes, Sahit}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{IMPACT OF GREEN WALLS ON INDOOR AIR HUMIDITY}},
year = {{2023}},
}