Indoor green walls, also known as vertical gardens or living walls, are becoming increasingly popular in environmental design and architecture for their aesthetic and environmental benefits.

The installation of clean air green walls can improve indoor air quality, achieving benefits such as dust retention, air pollution absorption, and temperature regulation.

Green walls can reduce the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by about 40%, particulate matter (PM10) by about 60%, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by about 10%.

Some indoor plants can contribute to purifying and humidifying the room air, filtering large amounts of pollutants and improving the indoor climate.

The Peace Lily is one of the best air purification plants, removing toxic gases such as benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide from the air.

Aloe Vera has air purifying properties, producing oxygen 24 hours a day, including at night, making it especially suitable for the bedroom.

The presence of indoor green walls can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing stress levels and improving mood, as suggested by the biophilia hypothesis.

Interacting with nature, including indoor green walls, can improve human health and well-being, and even reduce the risk of stroke by up to 16 percent.

People who often experience green nature, including those who live in houses with green views, report better mental health status.

Visual contact with nature, such as looking at plants or green walls, can significantly reduce the level of stress.

Low-maintenance plant species such as Sansevieria, Pahira shark, Ficus, Cactus, Spathiphyllum, and Asparagus flaming are easy to grow and care for, and can thrive in indoor green walls with minimal maintenance.

The fertilization requirements for different types of plants used in indoor green walls vary, and the choice of fertilizer depends on the length of the plant's flowering period.

Organic fertilizers, such as compost, humus, and siderates, are the safest for the environment and human health, making them suitable for indoor green walls.

To maintain the health and appearance of plants in indoor green walls, it is essential to choose plants that can survive in low light conditions.

Pruning plays an important role in maintaining the shape, size, and health of indoor plants, including those in green walls.

Regular inspection is crucial to identify pests that can harm houseplants, including those in indoor green walls, such as aphids, spider mites, and fungal midges.

The cost of installing a vertical green wall can range between $200 per square meter and $1200 per square meter, depending on the design, plants used, and installation process.

The estimated lifespan of a green wall is up to 25 years, making it a long-term investment.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems, such as HVAC and lighting, can help optimize their performance and energy efficiency, and reduce the negative impact on the environment and energy consumption.

Indoor green walls can be integrated with HVAC systems to optimize their performance and energy efficiency by exploiting the physical laws of heat transfer, including conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.

The integration of green walls with HVAC systems can help reduce the energy required to maintain occupant comfort levels by minimizing heat transfer through the building envelope.

The use of green walls in buildings can also help reduce energy consumption by providing natural light and reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Integrating indoor green walls with lighting systems can help reduce energy consumption by providing natural light and reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The integration of green walls with other building systems can help create a sustainable and net-zero energy building.

Optimizing HVAC and lighting systems based on occupancy patterns can serve as a lucrative starting point for energy efficiency improvements.

The potential benefits of integrating green walls with other building systems include improved air quality, increased energy efficiency, and enhanced occupant health and productivity.

However, the integration of green walls with other building systems can also pose challenges, such as increased maintenance needs and potential technical difficulties.

The use of technology, such as climbing robots and digital exhibits, can help monitor and maintain the health of plants in indoor green walls.

Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure the optimal performance of indoor green walls and their integration with other building systems.

The choice of plants for indoor green walls depends on the climate and building conditions, and some plants are more suitable for certain environments than others.

Energy-efficient measures, such as special glazing, additional insulation of walls and roofs, and ventilation systems with heat recovery, can reduce heat losses in buildings and optimize the performance of indoor green walls.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems can help reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

Green buildings can save 50% of energy, 60% of water resources, reduce 80% of waste generation, and 45% of carbon dioxide emissions.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems can help achieve net-zero energy and net-zero carbon design strategies.

Indoor green walls, also known as vertical gardens or living walls, are becoming increasingly popular in environmental design and architecture for their aesthetic and environmental benefits.

Title:

Content: Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd Now Provides Singapore Properties with Vertical Green Walls

Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd is famous for its vertical wall planters, green walls and flower backdrop in Singapore. The company caters to residential and commercial clients as well.

Singapore, 2023-Jan-04 — /EPR Network/ — Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd, the leading landscaping company in Singapore is offering vertical green walls to commercial and residential properties. Whether it is a retail showroom or a high rise, the vertical green wall is an innovative approach towards introducing nature amidst the concrete jungle.

The company uses quality vertical wall planters, ensuring the healthy growth of the plants. These vertical walls are easy to maintain, assemble, install, disassemble, and reinstall. The technique used by Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd ensures the user does not have to spend much time tending and taking care of the plants.

Along with green walls, the company also provides clients with exquisite flower backdrops in Singapore to complement the greenery around them. It’s a long-term investment as a green wall can last up to 25 years.

Vertical walls by Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd come with some unique features:

  • Custom design to suit the client’s needs.
  • Minimal watering of the green wall plants.
  • Ultra-low maintenance ensured.
  • Quick installation due to a modular system.
  • Use of plants that can survive in a tropical climate.

Why choose a vertical green wall?

  • Reduces waste of energy.
  • Improves air quality.
  • Makes the structure sustainable.
  • The space becomes more fire-resistant.
  • Minimizes ambient noise.

The general installation cost for a vertical green wall by Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd ranges between $200 per square meter and $1200 per square meter, depending on the design, the kind of plants used and the installation process.

About the company:

One of the oldest nurseries in Singapore, Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd has 50 years of experience in the industry. Started out humbly as a flower shop, Prince’s Landscape Pte Ltd have evolved into a full-fledged landscape design and installation specialist.

Contact Details

Telephone: 65 6763 7000

Fax: 65 6892 2700

WhatsApp: +65 8838 3479

Email: buzz@prince.com.sg

Address: 53 Sungei Tengah Road, Singapore 698998

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Title:

Content: Planting, Watering and Healing: Surprising Health Benefits of Indoor Plants

The grass isn't always greener. Since the early 80's, scientists have studied the biophilia hypothesis – that seeing plants is beneficial to our physical and mental health. With increased urbanization, exacerbated by lockdowns due to a global pandemic, it's becoming harder and harder to ‘go out and get some air.'

The indoor plant market, already spiking in 2019, continues to surge – expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

A study released by Data Bridge Market Research estimates the indoor plant market will reach $26.23 billion by 2029. The physical and mental health benefits of succulents and other indoor houseplants are important factors.

Many people may be surprised to discover the lesser-known benefits of indoor gardens, but experienced horticulturalists and gardeners have been advocating for the expansion of home gardens for decades.

Stress and Anxiety Reduction

The addition of real or artificial indoor plants has become a standard practice in many offices, hospitals, schools, and other institutions. According to researchers, just seeing a living plant in the otherwise sterile hospital waiting room environment has been shown to reduce stress levels.

In another study, subjects were asked to repot a living plant or complete a computer-generated task. Those who handled the plants reported feeling more at ease and also experienced lower blood pressure. Participants who performed the computer-based task reported higher levels of anxiety and elevated blood pressure.

Maria Failla, Garden Expert and host of the Growing Joy with Plants podcast, shares, “When I was struggling with depression, it was helpful for me to keep plants indoors that helped me get out of my head and drop into the present. I'd see how many senses I could engage while taking 3 mindful breaths alongside my plants. Scented plants like herbs and geraniums are amazing for this. I love the rose-scented geranium for its romantic scent and the fuzzy leaves I could rub, pinch and take deep inhales with.”

Speed Up The Healing Process

A number of indoor houseplants, such as snake plants, orchids, and spider plants, have natural air purification qualities. Others improve a room’s humidity level or deliver a soothing fragrance. Microgreens also provide essential nutrients, making them ideal for patients in recovery.

Even seeing an indoor houseplant can improve a recovering patient’s mental and emotional state. One study concluded that installing indoor gardens in hospital rooms and public areas positively impacted overall recovery times and patient satisfaction.

Improve Mood During Isolation

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent household quarantines created a spike in indoor plant sales as many consumers discovered the natural air purification benefits of succulents and other plant species. Indoor gardening also provided isolated households with an activity that could be performed safely while under quarantine.

A study conducted in Bulgaria concluded that participants who maintained a home garden or raised houseplants had fewer incidents of anxiety or depression during enforced lockdowns than others who did not invest in plants or other greenery.

Cassidy Tuttle, gardening expert and owner of Succulents and Sunshine, observes, “Succulents are great plants for people who have depression. They don't require as much work as other plants, so they can tolerate the ups and downs that frequently come with depression. They stay looking healthy even if they're not watered regularly. Haworthiopsis fasciata, Zebra Plant, is an especially good option for indoor plants because it doesn't require a lot of light or water.”

Best Entry-Level Houseplants For Starting Indoor Gardens

Annie Schreck, Research Director at Mountain Crest Gardens, offers some insights and recommendations for beginners. “At Mountain Crest Gardens, we hear back from customers all the time that filling their homes and offices with succulents brightens their mood every day. The studies I have seen in this realm indicate that having plants around can correlate with improved student performance in classrooms and reductions in stress and sick days in workplaces. I certainly hope more researchers investigate these complex human-plant interactions.

Schreck adds, “There’s something about having other living creatures in a room that makes it feel cozy and inviting. Caring for them and seeing them respond is just so rewarding. And the great thing is, everyone gets to explore which varieties lift their mood the most! If you’re not sure where to start, I’d recommend indoor succulents like Haworthia, Jade plants, and Gasteria.”

Snake Plants

Snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata)—also known as mother-in-law’s tongue— are thick-leaved succulents prized for their resilience and tolerance for drought. They grow well under low-light conditions, which makes them ideal for indoor gardens and room decor.

One major health benefit of snake plants is natural air purification. This goes beyond the standard absorption of carbon dioxide, however. Snake plants also remove and filter toxic gases such as benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde. They are also said to reduce headaches, improve respiration, and reduce eye irritations.

Microgreens

Microgreens such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale offer a wide range of health benefits, and their compact size makes them ideal for indoor gardens, especially hydroponics. Microgreens and fresh herbs provide home gardeners with flavorful aromatics and salad ingredients.

Among the many health benefits associated with microgreens are blood sugar regulation, vision protection, body weight reduction, and protection from anemia. Growing microgreens is also a highly recommended activity for those recovering from substance abuse since the plants provide the nutrition many addicts lack.

Orchids

While some orchid varieties have earned a reputation for being a challenge to grow, there are many varieties that require only minimal to moderate care. Besides their exceptional qualities as flowering plants, orchids are also natural air purifiers and oxygen generators. As part of a floral arrangement or as individual blooms, orchids have been shown in studies to reduce stress and improve mood.

Orchids are also recommended for people with sleep issues since the plant’s significant oxygen generation and aesthetic qualities both help create more soothing conditions at bedtime and during overnight hours.

Spider Plants

Spider plants have become popular houseplants for first-time home gardeners because of their child and pet-friendliness, ease of propagation, and exceptional air-purifying qualities. Beginning gardeners only need a small cutting from an existing spider plant to start their own projects.

The trailing leaves of a spider plant make it ideal for hanging baskets, a popular growing technique for limited spaces. The plant also raises the room’s humidity level, which helps address respiratory issues triggered by dry air conditions.

Peperomia Plants

 Because of their ability to thrive in drafty, dark, and humid locations in the home, peperomia plants are often referred to as “radiator plants”.  Peperomia plants are succulents, which means they are naturally resilient to abuse and require minimal maintenance.

Tinctures and other products derived from peperomia plants are used to address a range of medical ailments, including headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, and kidney issues. The plant also has antifungal and antioxidant properties.

Jade Plants

Another popular succulent for indoor gardens is the ornamental and medicinal jade plant. The jade plant’s distinctive round leaves have become associated symbolically with the acquisition of money and wealth. The jade plant’s appeal goes beyond the ornamental, however.

Products derived from the juice of the jade plant have been used in many cultures for the treatment of ailments including diabetes, skin wounds, digestive issues, and warts. In traditional Chinese culture, the presence of a jade plant also improves the flow of chi, or life force.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Title:

Content: Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai: Singapore pavilion integrates nature within urban environments

WAM/Abu Dhabi
Filed on August 26, 2021
Source: Expo 2020 website

Green architecture to embody ethos of sustainable development

The Singapore pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai puts green architecture at the forefront to help visitors appreciate the benefits and possibilities of integrating nature within our urban environments.

Layered with a showcase of greenery, digital solutions and art, the pavilion exemplifies Singapore's vision of becoming a City in Nature, and ethos of sustainable development via innovative and impactful urban solutions.

Yap Lay Bee, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Singapore pavilion and Group Director, Architecture & Urban Design Group at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, said, "The Singapore Pavilion demonstrates the potential to push the envelope to integrate nature, architecture and technology through various design strategies and digital elements.

"We wish to invite visitors to contemplate their relationship with nature as they explore the pavilion's green, digital ecosystem and its artistic representation of the pavilion's integrated system of greenery, water and energy management. In doing so, visitors will be able to appreciate the challenges in realising the Singapore pavilion, and the ways we can co-exist with our natural and built environment, where both people and ecologies are cared for."

The pavilion takes into account the local environment within its Rainforest Cone and the Flower Cone areas to sustain rainforest plants. The growth of the multitude of plant varieties despite the ground conditions demonstrates the possibility for such lush landscapes to thrive in different environments around the world while using renewable resources.

The pavilion also capitalises on technology to augment bold landscaping design. Caring for the varieties of plants within the pavilion is no easy feat, especially those on the curved green walls of the pavilion's iconic cones. To address this challenge, three prototype climbing robots will traverse the green walls around the Flower Cone to inspect the health of the plants, as well as to collect environmental data to monitor the performance of the pavilion's systems.

Visitors are invited to participate in a generative artwork at the Galleria that allows them to visualise the performance of the pavilion's integrated ecosystem and how it impacts the environment. The customised planting palette and innovative technological applications used in water and energy management are design strategies that enable the Singapore pavilion to achieve its net-zero energy target.

Preparations for the Singapore pavilion are at the final phase. Landscaping works have wrapped up and finishing touches are being made to the digital exhibits ahead of its opening on 1st October 2021. Various elements of the Singapore pavilion experience will also be presented on online platforms, given the current travel restrictions and safe management measures.

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Title:

Content: Landscaping is the main element of a healthy and comfortable environment, which has a positive impact on both the psychological and physical condition of a person.
People perceive rooms filled with living plants as safer and more aesthetic for life and work.
Even with visual contact with nature, the level of stress is significantly reduced.
According to recent studies, gardening can affect not only air quality and our health, but also energize, improve performance and serve as a source of inspiration.
Inspiration
A sense of security
Image of Well-Being
Air quality
Change together
with us
In the face of constant global changes, human needs and desires also change.
There is a rethinking of fundamental principles and values - we become more attentive to ourselves, flexible and mobile, open to new opportunities and ideas.
These same trends are reflected in the transformation of the premises – in the desire to create a truly comfortable and attractive space.
The interior becomes adaptive for various tasks and interaction formats.
And plants have become an integral part of any progressive concept.

Title:

Content: In order to improve the environmental air quality and let children learn with peace of mind, the Taichung Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau has continued to build a clean air green wall in the school. This year, 12 schools in Jianping Elementary School, Juren Elementary School and Chongde Elementary School have received subsidies from the Environmental Protection Department.
According to the Environmental Protection Bureau, through the installation of clean air green walls, indoor air quality can be improved. At present, space such as classroom corridors and flower stands outside the daughter wall in Taichung City can be planted, which can achieve the benefits of dust retention, air pollution absorption and temperature regulation.
In order to strengthen the protection of the school environment for children, the Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureau expanded the subsidy for the construction of a clean air green wall on the campus, and the current subsidy amount to 1.76 million yuan, with an area of 358 square meters.
The Environmental Protection Bureau stressed that currently selected plants that can purify the air and do not need to spend too much money and time to maintain include the Dragon Tubeh, the Junzi and Wu Bamboo, the Turtle, the Cannonflower or the Honeysuckle.
How good is the effect of clean air green wall?
According to international research, vertical clean air green walls can reduce the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) by about 40% and 60%. In addition, green walls can also reduce the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in classrooms by about 10% and the concentration of ozone (O3) by about 30%.
Green wall is the most natural and energy efficient air purification facilities, no need to plug in electricity, self-circulation, to achieve the purpose of air purification, can be called the "most environmentally friendly air purifier".
Chen Hongyi, director of the Environmental Protection Bureau, said that in addition to blocking outdoor pollutants and improving indoor air, the air green wall can also adjust the temperature and drive energy conservation and carbon reduction. Next year, Taichung City is expected to expand the subsidy target, including community activity centers, public kindergartens and environmental night markets.
# Green Wall # Air # Cleanliness # Campus # Environment

Title:

Content: 6 Easy Ways to Build an Indoor Garden
CHITING CHANG – HOMIFY
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Indoor plants are not only beautiful, they bring natural greenery to your room, they also have the function of purifying toxins in the air.
If you don ’ t have a large garden or balcony space to grow flowers and plants, you can still work on creating a small garden indoors.
Today ’ s idea book will teach you 6 simple ways to build an indoor garden.
After reading these methods, you should no longer be able to use the space limit as an excuse!
1. Palm Trees
If you want to plant a tree indoors, you must choose plants that can survive in low light conditions.
An atmospheric, tropical palm tree is the perfect choice.
If you have concerns about the frequency of watering and the temperature in the room, ask a professional for more details.
2.
Glass bonsai
Terrarium Installations
The Urban Botanist
Easy to handle, small glass potted plants are ideal for small suites or work desks! You can choose large glass containers, such as old light bulbs, fish tanks, candy cans, etc., then put a small stone as the bottom, spread the moss, and then put the soil.
The next step is to put your plants in the soil and then spread the moss.
When finished, you can put on your favorite decorations again, so that the simple glass potted plant is finished.
3.
Fill the walls with plants.
Green walls can be the most natural decoration in the home, and can also remove toxins from the air and improve the quality of life.
Although the idea is simple, building a green wall can be a tricky task, and if you are not confident in your DIY skills, you can consult with homify experts.
4.
Hang the plants on the wall.
Hanging Vintage Garden Tap Planter
ELLA JAMES
If the above green wall is a bit too much, then you can choose to hang plants on the wall.
If you don ’ t like the general method, you can follow the above example and choose the potted plants made of water taps, so that your potted plants can also be used as decorations in your home.
5.
Kitchen Spices
The easiest way to create an indoor garden is to plant the herbs you need.
Put your favorite herbs in the kitchen, in addition to making the kitchen full of green surprises, you can also let the vanilla smell in the air.
6.
Make your living space green
We love the concept of an indoor garden!
Put a wooden table on the plant of the tree, it becomes a unique tree table.
When guests come to visit, do you have the feeling of playing chess and making tea in the old banyan tree?
More Inspiration for Interior Decoration: 17 Simple and Affordable Ways to Make Your Home Better
Do you need someone to help you design or build your home?
Find a professional now!
Find out more about home design!

The installation of clean air green walls can improve indoor air quality, achieving benefits such as dust retention, air pollution absorption, and temperature regulation.

Green walls can reduce the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by about 40%, particulate matter (PM10) by about 60%, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by about 10%.

Some indoor plants can contribute to purifying and humidifying the room air, filtering large amounts of pollutants and improving the indoor climate.

Title:

Content: including ivy and aloe vera cactus
Plants that help purify the air in your home and improve your mental health
Many people, especially women, tend to decorate their homes with houseplants, but the function of some indoor plants goes beyond decorations, as some species contribute to purifying and humidifying the room air.
Depending on the type and size, green plants can filter large amounts of pollutants, thus significantly improving the indoor climate.
Replacement plants for electric air purifiers
NASA has conducted a study that confirms that growing some plants inside the house may be a great alternative to expensive electric air purifiers, and then get a home filled with fresh natural air, as well as improve mood and mental health.
Many houseplants can be effective at detoxifying such as formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethane and other air, which can be found in paints, cigarettes and carpets.
Best Home Plants for Air Purification
Ivy.
Ivy or spider is an ideal plant for pet lovers, as it reduces odors and absorbs gas from the use of cleaning products.
Prefer partial shade, that is, it may not be in the scorching sun nor in the dark shade.
Its green leaves are decorated with a white edge, making it particularly decorative, and also filtering pollutants such as formaldehyde and xylene from the air.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is known for its benefits to the body, and this evergreen plant has air purifying properties, producing oxygen 24 hours a day, including at night, and is therefore especially suitable for the bedroom.
Dragon Tree
A home plant that is easy to care for, and the dragon tree may reach a height of 2.5 meters, and is very suitable for air purification, because it can filter pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and trichloroethylene, but it is less suitable for families with children or pets, because the leaves can be toxic.
Lilies of peace
According to the German website Stern, peace lily is one of the best air purification plants, removing toxic gases such as benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air.
It is also a beautiful looking plant, carrying bright dark green leaves and beautiful white flowers.
Source: Deutsche Welle

The Peace Lily is one of the best air purification plants, removing toxic gases such as benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide from the air.

Aloe Vera has air purifying properties, producing oxygen 24 hours a day, including at night, making it especially suitable for the bedroom.

The presence of indoor green walls can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing stress levels and improving mood, as suggested by the biophilia hypothesis.

Interacting with nature, including indoor green walls, can improve human health and well-being, and even reduce the risk of stroke by up to 16 percent.

People who often experience green nature, including those who live in houses with green views, report better mental health status.

Title:

Content: University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences (GSALS) and Sekisui House, Ltd.
A joint research project on biodiversity and human health was launched on 1 December 2022 to investigate the benefits of biodiversity and the urban natural environment for human health / well-being.
This will be the world ’ s first comprehensive study of the impact on residents ’ health of interacting with the natural environment of a nearby biodiversity-rich garden, as well as their attitudes and behaviors towards nature.
The Conservation Ecology Laboratory of the GSALS Department of Ecosystem Studies at the University of Tokyo conducts research on the conservation of urban biodiversity and the management of ecosystem services (benefits of ecosystems to human society).
The lab has been studying the relationship between nature and human health since 2016.
Its research shows that interaction with nature can improve human health / well-being.
However, the question of how these health benefits vary according to nature ’ s quality rather than quantity has not been explored.
In 2020, the lab investigated how two ways of interacting with nature (i.e., the frequency of green space use and viewing green plants from a home window) affect the mental health of city dwellers (self-esteem, life satisfaction, happiness, depression / anxiety symptoms, and loneliness).
The results of the study show that not only are people who regularly use green space, but also those who live in houses with green views have better mental health.
This shows that even if people can ’ t be in a green space, the natural landscape of their own home can be beneficial for their mental health.
In the figure, the size of the positive (right side of the dotted line) and negative (left side of the dotted line) effects indicates that there is a positive or negative relationship between each factor and each mental health indicator.
For example, “green landscape ” was associated with low levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, while“ Covid-19 impact on income ” was associated with high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms.
Analysis of the results suggests that experiencing nature can affect mental health to the same extent as factors such as income that have traditionally been considered important for mental health.
Since 2001, Sekisui House has been committed to preserving biodiversity by building a green network in urban residential areas through its “Gohon no Ki ” (Five Trees) Project.
The project is a project that aims to build gardens and communities with native tree species in the relevant area. Since 2019, it has been working with Kubota Laboratory and Think Nature Inc.
Joint research has shown that the Gohon no Ki project ’ s emphasis on planting native garden trees has led to improvements in biodiversity in urban areas (three major metropolitan areas in Japan) where there has been a significant decline in biodiversity.
This new joint research project will combine analytical methods developed by the GSALS Conservation Ecology Laboratory at the University of Tokyo with the Gohon no Ki Project at Sekisui House to conserve biodiversity.
It is also the first attempt to scientifically study the impact of biodiversity landscaping on human health and well-being.
The study will also demonstrate the importance of building biodiversity gardens from a biodiversity perspective, rather than simply “greening. ”
The lab is conducting research to test five hypotheses about the relationship between human health and interaction with nature under the themes of mental health, physical health, cognitive function and community health.
For now, the new joint research project will focus on two hypotheses related to mental health, as well as one related to cognitive function.
However, this is a long-term joint research project that will also examine community health and other health-related topics.
Masashi Soga, associate professor of GSALS at the University of Tokyo, commented on the joint research project as follows: “People always turn to nature for relaxation and tranquility, and recent research and technological advances have made it possible to quantify these intangible health benefits.
However, little is known about the role of biodiversity in providing these health benefits.
If we can elucidate this issue, perhaps we can develop appropriate landscape and green space management to support harmonious coexistence with nature, which is desirable both from the point of view of protecting biodiversity and enhancing human health. "
“This joint research project is a large-scale survey designed to examine how interacting with nature in our gardens affects our health and well-being, as gardens are probably the natural world most familiar to most of us. ”
Garden biodiversity is an area that has so far been difficult to study, but Sekisui House ’ s nationwide planting data will allow us to conduct the world ’ s first comprehensive survey of the relationship between garden biodiversity and human health, and the way people appreciate nature and interact with it.
So far, the discussion of nature ’ s health benefits has tended to focus on relatively large areas of greenery such as green spaces and forests, but with this new study, we hope to shed light on the importance of actually ‘ living with nature ’.
Our research will hopefully help promote the conservation of urban biodiversity, "he said.
GSALS and Sekisui House at the University of Tokyo aim to contribute to the conservation of urban biodiversity and the building of a nature-friendly society by sharing findings about how the way people interact with nearby nature in an urban environment and how people appreciate and interact with nature affects people ’ s mental health.

Visual contact with nature, such as looking at plants or green walls, can significantly reduce the level of stress.

Low-maintenance plant species such as Sansevieria, Pahira shark, Ficus, Cactus, Spathiphyllum, and Asparagus flaming are easy to grow and care for, and can thrive in indoor green walls with minimal maintenance.

Title:

Content: Unpretentious seven houseplants.
Easy to grow, easy to care for
3: 26
Adding greenery to your home is a great way to create a pleasant atmosphere and improve air quality.
However, not all plants grow easily indoors, and many of them require special care and attention.
If you are just starting out in the world of gardening and are looking for unpretentious plants that will be easy to grow at home, then you are in luck!
The charm of houseplants
Houseplants not only add beauty to the interior of your home, but also contribute to improving air quality and creating a cozy atmosphere.
They can soften the aggressive acoustic properties of rooms and even improve mood and productivity.
However, for novice gardeners, choosing the right plants can be a daunting task.
Here is a list of seven unpretentious houseplants that grow easily and do not require special care.
Sansevieria.
Sansevieria, or "swords-yucca", is one of the most unpretentious plants you can have in your home.
It has decorative green leaves with bright stripes or spots, and can survive even with minimal care.
Sansevieria has the ability to purify the air by removing harmful toxins and humidifying the environment.
Pahira shark.
The pahira shark, or “dollar tree, ” is another great choice for novice gardeners.
It has thick, juicy green leaves that give it a unique shape.
Pahira shark is a succulent plant and requires minimal watering.
It is also a symbol of good luck and prosperity in many cultures.
Ficus.
Ficus, or "rubber tree", is one of the most popular houseplants due to its unpretentiousness and beauty.
The ficus has large, shiny green leaves that create a beautiful green structure.
It can thrive in both bright sun and partial shade, and requires minimal maintenance.
Cactus.
Cactuses are among the most unpretentious houseplants.
They adapt well to dry conditions and do not require frequent watering.
Cacti can have different shapes and sizes, which makes them interesting elements of decor.
They can also thrive in bright light, making them ideal for spaces with lots of sunlight.
Spathiphyllum.
Spathiphyllum, or "female happiness", is a plant with dark green leaves and beautiful white inflorescences.
It grows easily in low light conditions and requires moderate watering.
Spathiphyllum is also a cleansing plant that can improve the air quality in your home.
Asparagus is flaming.
Asparagus flaming, or "Portland asparagus", is an ornamental plant with soft green pinnate leaves.
It can thrive in bright or penumbra lighting, and is easy to prune and shape.
Asparagus flaming is also an unpretentious plant that requires minimal care.
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Top 5 most unpretentious plants for the home
Author Petr Deryabin
Petr Deryabin – journalist, correspondent of Pravda.Ru news service
Editor Kirill Yanchitsky
Kirill Yanchitsky – Publishing editor of Pravda.Ru.
Curator Andrey Tumanov
Andrey Tumanov — Russian journalist and TV presenter, producer, politician *

The fertilization requirements for different types of plants used in indoor green walls vary, and the choice of fertilizer depends on the length of the plant's flowering period.

Title:

Content: Alert
Justin Bieber ’ s “Half Face Palsy ” Appears on His Rare Disease Tour
Experts call on command centre to release "3 controllable factors" to help improve death rate
Gardeners reveal 9 key decisions: can your home easily become a small garden
Editor's note: Many people love flower gardening, even if they live in the urban area, they still want to have a garden to heal the mood at home, but why do the flowers in the flower market bloom so beautifully, but can't be planted after buying home?
Master horticulturist Chen Kun-chan shares the key method of planting a pot of vibrant flowers on the balcony, living room and dining table to easily add an elegant atmosphere to your home!
Nine key decisions: home can be transformed into a garden
Point 1: Plants to choose
(1) The stem is strong.
Indicates that the plant has high maturity and sufficient nutrients to continue to supply flowering.
Two, more leaves.
Indicates that the plant is healthy, of course, we should also pay attention to whether the leaves are shiny, and whether the leaf color has turned yellow.
In addition, for some plants, a leaf represents a flowering opportunity, so the more leaves, the higher the flowering chance (for example, flamingo, pansy, etc.).
Third, more flowers.
Indicates that the subsequent flowering is strong, try not to choose the blooming, to choose the unblossomed buds accounted for more than 1 / 2 of the priority, you can also pay attention to whether there are just emerging flower stems below, will make the time to bloom at home longer.
Point 2: Be careful.
Many times we buy plants in a hurry to bag and take them away. It is recommended that you can choose the right potted plants and ask the shop to help you wrap the flowers and leaves with newspapers or transparent bags.
Point 3: Check carefully.
Buying a good pot plant will inevitably have some bumps during transportation, so remember to check whether there is looseness between the base of the plant (that is, the position of the plant near the soil) and the soil after returning.
If yes, you can tap the outer edge of the basin or adjust the soil gap by hand.
Because loosening of the base causes water loss, it also allows the disease to attack the health of the root or lower stem branches.
Point 4: The location is right.
For the needs of plants, choose the full sun on the balcony, the half-sun on the window, or the indoor lighting environment for more than eight hours.
Because most of the bright colors of flowering plants are the result of photosynthesis, when the light is insufficient, the most likely to occur when the flowers fade, so it is recommended that in addition to plants with negative resistance such as flamingo, African pansy, in the flower bud stage is also placed in the balcony to grow without rain, and then in full bloom, and then move into the room for short-term viewing.
Of course, there are also some plants that are afraid of direct light, which should be paid special attention to when placed, so as not to cause sunburn of the leaves.
Therefore, after the plant is brought home, the first week or two must observe its growth condition and determine whether the position is appropriate.
● Point 5: Fertilizing, be diligent
For what to apply fertilizer, when to apply, is the question of many people.
Simply put: fertilization to understand the length of the plant flowering period, if it is only once a year, and the flowering period is short, then the plant bought back, you do not need to apply flower fertilizer (phosphate fertilizer), as long as the season to apply a long-term fertilizer.
If it is a plant that blossoms throughout the year, has a long flowering period, or has a large flowering period, apply a flower fertilizer every two weeks and a long-acting fertilizer every season.
Point 6: Pour the water and avoid the flowers
Before watering, you must first weigh the weight of a pot plant by hand to determine whether it needs to be watered, but if the plant collapses, it must be lack of water.
On the other hand, when taking care of flowering plants, please use your hand to open the leaves first, avoid the flowers, as long as the soil can be watered.
Because most plants not only have short hairs on the petals, but also on the leaves, this will stick moisture on the top, although there will be no fatal damage, but will shorten the life of the flowers.
In addition, if placed in a windless environment, it will accelerate the corruption of flowers and may cause diseases and pests.
Point 7: Breeding, watching the season
The growth of plants is affected by the temperature of nature, according to its native environment can be divided into two categories: cold tolerance and drought tolerance.
Choosing the right time to reproduce is important.
The flowering is usually when the climate changes from hot to cold or cold to hot. At this time, the growth center of the plant is in the flowering, and even if the cutting propagation is forced, the rooting speed will be slow and the success rate will be reduced.
It is recommended that cold-tolerant plants reproduce before summer, while drought-tolerant plants are best in late winter and early spring.
● Point 8: Residual flowers, to be sorted
Many people usually wait until the whole pot of flowers wither before pruning. In fact, as long as you understand the length of the flowering period, if you are still in the flowering period, grasp the principle of pruning residual flowers (refer to the steps in the book), and continue to apply flower fertilizer, then there is still a good chance to take a new flower stem out.
In addition, to remind you that not all residual flowers or dead leaves are trimmed with scissors, some plant stems and branches are more moisture, suitable for the way of extraction, and the stem or stem of the leaves are removed, such as cyclamen, African pansy and so on.
Point 9: Sickness, be careful.
Although buying mature potted flowers is not likely to have pest problems, it is still recommended to water or prune, you can pay a little attention to the condition of the leaves or flowers. If there are black spots, small holes, white powder and other situations, it is necessary to check the leaves to see if there are insects.
It can be eliminated with commercially available pesticides or homemade chilli water.
The common cause of the disease is graymold or rotting roots, which is mostly caused by water accumulation in the roots and lack of ventilation in the environment.
[The above excerpts from "A Complete Illustration of the Cultivation Techniques of Beautiful Flowers", by Chen Kun-chan, Publisher: Apple House Publishing House]
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Organic fertilizers, such as compost, humus, and siderates, are the safest for the environment and human health, making them suitable for indoor green walls.

To maintain the health and appearance of plants in indoor green walls, it is essential to choose plants that can survive in low light conditions.

Pruning plays an important role in maintaining the shape, size, and health of indoor plants, including those in green walls.

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Content: rus
� � � � � � � �
Lifehacks
How to create a comfortable environment for indoor plants
Vladislav Moskalenko
Houseplants need proper care to bloom and decorate any space.
UAPortal offers practical tips on lighting, watering, feeding, pruning and pest control that will help you in the care of indoor plants.
Consider the specific needs of the plant
When caring for indoor plants, it is important to take into account their specific needs.
Different plants have individual requirements for sunlight, water and temperature.
Therefore, ensure the correct placement of plants, protecting them from drafts and extreme temperatures.
Provide the plant with water
Providing the right amount of water is crucial for the care of houseplants.
Balanced watering is a key factor, as both excessive and insufficient watering can harm plants.
Regularly fertilize houseplants
Houseplants benefit from regular fertilizer to have the nutrients they need to grow.
Choose the appropriate types of fertilizers based on the specific needs of each plant, following the instructions and avoiding overfeeding.
Read also: Will take energy – what trees can not be planted near the house
Cut off dead parts of the plant
Pruning plays an important role in maintaining the shape, size and health of indoor plants.
Use clean and sharp tools to remove dead or damaged parts.
Crop branches or stems that violate the desired shape or size
Check the plant for pests
Regular inspection is crucial to identify pests that can harm houseplants.
The most common pests include aphids, spider mites and fungal midges.
Look for signs of infection, such as yellowed leaves, sticky debris, or insects.
If pests are present, take appropriate measures, such as using insecticidal soap or natural insect repellents.
Recall that the lover of flowers seeks that her flowerpots were the most lush, beautiful and healthy.
But did you know that the inexpensive spice that every housewife uses for baking can help grow the perfect flowers on the windowsill?
Want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine - subscribe to our Telegram channel!

Regular inspection is crucial to identify pests that can harm houseplants, including those in indoor green walls, such as aphids, spider mites, and fungal midges.

The cost of installing a vertical green wall can range between $200 per square meter and $1200 per square meter, depending on the design, plants used, and installation process.

The estimated lifespan of a green wall is up to 25 years, making it a long-term investment.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems, such as HVAC and lighting, can help optimize their performance and energy efficiency, and reduce the negative impact on the environment and energy consumption.

Title:

Content: Trend or marketing move: what does “green ” construction look like in St. Petersburg, if it exists at all?
Green development in St. Petersburg mainly refers to the use of modern technologies to save resources.
But even in this form, environmental friendliness has not yet become mass for construction solutions - while such systems are too expensive.
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In St. Petersburg, and in Russia, "green" construction is not yet a generally accepted term, supported by any exhaustive regulatory framework, experts of the GC "PSK" believe.
It consists in the desire of developers to introduce the most modern technologies that reduce energy consumption for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting.
Thus, the question is more in the plane of product competition - the more modern the project, the more opportunities to promote it at the expense of advantages over competitors.
In practical terms, for the buyer, this means a reduction in utility bills.
Olga Ulyanova, Marketing Director of Polis Group Group Group, also referred to energy-saving technologies as green construction trends.
According to her, the simplest is the regulation of lighting in the front, a high level of thermal insulation in apartments, meters for basic resources: water and heat, so almost all developers today can say: “Yes, we use it. ”
- Apartments should be considered in the context of the consumer, it is very important that he was comfortable and safe in the apartment, - added Andrey Pankov, Deputy General Director for Production Issues of the Association "Construction Trust". - In this context, apartments made of brick fit perfectly - everyone knows that this material is the most environmentally friendly, does not accumulate moisture, and, accordingly, provides the best microclimate conditions.
Energy efficiency
First of all, the term “green construction ” contains the meaning of reducing the negative impact on the environment and, in accordance with world trends, first of all, reducing the consumption of energy resources, the production of which makes the main contribution to CO2 emissions, Andrei Pankov continued.
- At present, in apartment buildings, I do not see anything revolutionary in this direction, - he added. - It all comes down to improving the energy efficiency of structures to reduce heat losses, in particular, this is the use of special glazing, additional insulation of walls and roofs, in higher price segments - ventilation systems with heat recovery.
In the private sector, cogeneration and geothermal systems are added to this.
Honestly, there are few examples of “green development ”, of which I know BauHaus RC and Skandi Klubb RC.
And yet, while to increase energy efficiency in the design of a "green" object, it is necessary to lay redundant solutions for thermal protection and additional engineering systems, and this, of course, increases the cost, and significantly.
- In the construction of residential and commercial buildings, developers use a whole range of energy-saving measures, - continued Natalia Kukushkina, head of the marketing group of the company CDS. - One of them is a system of ventilated and unventilated facade, which allows you to achieve the desired coefficient of heat loss by increasing or reducing the thickness of the insulating layer.
Energy-efficient glass can also be used to reduce heat loss through windows.
And this makes sense, since in combination, through walls and windows, a building can lose up to 75% of its heat.
Smart home
Energy efficiency measures can aim not only to conserve heat in a building, but also to reduce resource consumption.
Technologies of “smart home ” just relate to this, added Natalia Kukushkina.
“Smart ” house is a technological dwelling, which, thanks to modern engineering and IT systems, can perform part of the functions per person, ” the expert explained. – For example, turn on and off the light, open the doors, heat the water, monitor the readings of the meters and automatically send them to the management company.
Thus, first of all, this concept is associated with the engineering "stuffing" of the house.
Although now on the market there are variations on the theme of “smart ” planning solutions.
Here, the word “smart ” emphasizes their functionality.
At the same time, there are practically no “smart ” apartment buildings in St. Petersburg.
Such objects are just beginning to appear on our market, adds Natalia Kukushkina.
Most often, developers use separate elements of the concept of a “smart ” house.
For example, by placing light sensors in common areas, this reduces electricity consumption and, as a result, utility bills for residents.
Field of development
Now in Russia it is not customary to assess the impact of the new building on the environment for the entire period of its service, experts of the GC "PSK" explained.
According to them, the developer only requires a guarantee of five years, during which the building will correspond to the previously obtained energy efficiency class.
The specific consumption of thermal and electrical energy is considered, and the heat consumption for heating and ventilation as a separate characteristic is necessarily calculated.
But the cost of heat and electricity for air conditioning, hot and cold water supply and electricity is calculated on a voluntary basis.
— In St. Petersburg, environmental friendliness is understood primarily as the characteristics of the area — air purity, the presence and size of green areas, remoteness from industrial and generating enterprises, landfills, large transport hubs, etc. — The company ’ s experts added. — There are no examples of ultra-low consumption buildings or passive ones in the full understanding of this term in the city, and they are unlikely to appear in the coming years.
Therefore, it is almost impossible to unequivocally estimate the cost by this criterion.
It is always a combination of factors: location and construction technologies.
At the same time, experts added that in Russia there is room to move in creating its own regulatory framework in this direction.
It can be assumed that in the southern regions, the requirements for thermal protection may be lower.
However, in the warm season, a more efficient building in terms of heat loss will also reduce the cost of air conditioning.
Anna Romanova, Fontanka.ru
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Indoor green walls can be integrated with HVAC systems to optimize their performance and energy efficiency by exploiting the physical laws of heat transfer, including conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.

Title:

Content: In the concluding paragraph of the Oct. 7, 2021, Engineered Systems’ article titled, “Health Care Design: Beyond Code Minimum – Creating Healthier, More Efficient Environments,” it was proposed: “Physical laws can also be exploited to contribute to workload reduction to meet health care HVAC needs…” Understanding the physical laws of heat transfer — i.e., evaporation (vapor compression cycle or evaporative cooling) and conduction (coil heat transfer) — to effectively transfer discrete amounts of energy to or from a building is a given. HVAC designs apply the laws of physics to calculate building cooling and heating loads and, there upon, the amount of energy required to execute the work to be done to maintain stable, comfortable, and healthy building environments. It is not uncommon for engineers to then add a 15%-20% contingency to ensure system layouts have enough energy available to overcome loads that were not anticipated and/or other operational variances. The statement’s intent was to convey the idea that a mechanical brute-force approach to heat transfer is not the only available methodology. A design team can adopt another mindset that passively applies, at least partially, to all methods of heat transfer in a manner that will reduce the amount of system work to be done.

Dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) offer design teams such an approach when applied to passive hydronic HVAC systems. Unlike conventional designs that apply only two heat transfer modes, evaporation, and conduction, engineering teams can propose more efficient systems by exploiting all four natural heat transfer methods: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. This article will review and evaluate passive radiant heating and cooling systems as an effective design approach that exploits the properties of all heat transfer modalities for enhanced system efficiency with the added benefit, when properly designed, of creating healthier built environments.

A Comparative Technology Review

  • Before reevaluating why passive systems offer such proposed advantages, let us begin by reviewing conventional all-air systems. All-air systems use air as a building’s heat transfer medium. However, the specific heat of air is low compared to water. Consequently, large volumes of air are required to transfer a building’s energy gain to the outdoors when in cooling mode or, in the case of heating, add energy to maintain space temperatures.
  • To overcome increasing thermal energy levels when in a cooling mode, a discrete volume of cool (55°F) air is normally supplied at 20° below the room design set point temperature of approximately 75°. The cool air is generally mixed into the zone and maintains a room temperature band of approximately +/- 2°. Depending on zone loads and air-mixing effectiveness, room air at elevated temperatures (75°-80°) is drawn from a space through return air grilles to an air-handler or fan-coil unit. Return air is then often mixed with humid outside air (ventilation air) in an air-handling unit’s (AHU’s) mixing section before passing through a cooling coil to cool and dehumidify the supply air. Supply air is cooled to the saturation point for dehumidification and mildly warmed (in draw-through configurations) by fan and motor heat by approximately 1°-3°. Consequently, many designs target a 55° DB/54° WB discharge air condition off the coil. Cooling coils are sized to meet a building’s total load (i.e., sensible and latent loads), and the supply air condition is designed to both maintain building thermal comfort and control building humidity levels. As a general rule of thumb, building supply airflow rates would historically range between 0.9-1.2 cfm per square foot, depending on building use and geographical region. As a result, AHU requirements with all-air systems could be quickly approximated. Initial estimates for a 100,000-square-foot building may have begun with AHU airflow rates of approximately 100,000 cfm for peak summer cooling loads. Heating loads, depending on climate zones, generally benefit from lower total airflow rates due to much larger approach temperatures than cooling airflow rates. In recent years, all-air systems' total supply-air (cfm per square foot) volumes have been dropping to meet reduced sensible loads. Upgraded construction standards, enhanced materials, lower lighting loads, and reduced plug loads are contributing to lower sensible heat ratios. However, it is not uncommon for the fan energy of all-air HVAC systems to represent upwards of 41% of a building’s overall energy costs to circulate this low-grade heat transfer medium.

Decoupled 100% Outside Air Systems

  • Decoupled hydronic 100% outside air systems (OAS) are not designed to condition a building’s total load using solely the AHU’s cooling coil. Unlike conventional all-air systems, these systems exploit the advantage of a more dense heat transfer medium — typically water — to manage the sensible loads in the space, while the ventilation and dehumidification requirements are processed via the introduction of the primary air. In other words, a zone’s total load (sensible and latent load) is decoupled. Space sensible loads are removed (cooling) by a chilled water loop piped directly to each zone. Water, unlike air, has approximately 3,400 times the heat carrying capacity of air due to its specific heat and density advantage. As a result, it is far more efficient to extract sensible heat from a space using water and processing the ventilation loads separately than it is to displace the warm air-volume from a room by supplying approximately 55° air from AHUs. Shifting a zone’s sensible energy to a chilled water loop results in a reduction of fan-system horsepower and overall energy consumption. Air volumes can be reduced significantly, at least in the Southwestern climate zone, to between 0.25-0.8 cfm per square foot, depending on the use and latent loads of the zones served. It is not uncommon for decoupled ventilation systems (e.g. passive radiant and beam systems) to yield a 30% to 50%-plus energy savings compared to conventional medium-pressure, constant air volume (CAV) systems.

Active beams are conductive-only heat-transfer terminal devices. This equipment requires fan pressure to create induction at the beam to recirculate and process the room air through the beam-mounted cooling coil. The cooling coil is held above the room’s dew point temperature. However, passive radiant heating and cooling equipment does not rely on pressurization to drive room air currents. This setup yields enhanced system efficiencies and comfort by exploiting all four heat-transfer modalities, resulting in reduced system work. Heat transfer by radiation and convection is also applied when designing with radiant panels and sails. One might say the transfer is “exploited.” Radiant devices generally are sized in square or rectangular shapes installed at the ceiling level or on walls. By controlling a room’s exposed surface temperature profile with either chilled or hot water panels and/or sails, radiant energy is emitted from warmer room surfaces (cooling mode) to the thermally controlled cooler radiant device or emitted to a room’s cooler surfaces (heating mode) from controlled warmer devices. Due to the physics and properties of electromagnetic radiation, high-energy states move to low-energy states. Heat transfer is instantaneous and occurs at the speed of light. Consequently, energy emitted from an occupant’s warmer outer extremities will be absorbed by the cooler surfaces of radiant panels or sails located within the zone.

In cooling, a secondary conductive heat transfer effect also occurs between the surface of the radiant device and the warm air near the boundary layer of the panel and/or sail. Air in close proximity to the radiant chilled surfaces is cooled via conduction. As a result, the air increases in density and falls from the radiant panel and/or sail into the occupied zone, creating a convective pumping action that allows for the recirculation of the room air. To enhance conductive heat transfer and convective flow, a zone’s thermal profile is designed to be stratified between the floor, thermostat, and ceiling. A thermally stratified environment (see Figure 1), depending on a room’s sensible heat load and ceiling height, is designed to an approximate temperature profile of 70° at the floor, 75° at the thermostat, and 78°-80° at the upper levels of a room.

Displacement ventilation is the air delivery system of choice to suit a stratified room air-distribution strategy. Space ventilation is delivered using 100% outside air supplied locally to each zone through low in-wall displacement diffusers or through underfloor air plenums. Airflow rates are calculated to meet minimum ventilation rates as prescribed by ASHRAE 62.1. Airflow rates can be greater, depending on zone load, occupancy density, or an owner’s intent for enhanced IAQ. Unlike medium-pressure CAV/VAV or active chilled beam systems, displacement ventilation designs can be configured as low-static systems that may result in reduced fan horsepower. Zone heat sources move air via thermal convective plumes in lieu of fan energy. Each heat source, if it has a surface temperature greater than a room’s set point temperature, warms ambient air local to each source (e.g., an occupant’s body, a computer, etc.). Heat energy is drawn to the upper levels of a room by convective forces, i.e., less dense air currents. A human occupant with a body temperature of approximately 98° located in a room set at 75° will generate a thermal plume of an average velocity 30 feet per minute (fpm) (see Note 1). Displacement air systems supplying approximately 65° DB air also have an added advantage in the Southwestern desert, where cool shoulder and winter seasons are dry. Economizer hours can be doubled, adding an additional layer of performance efficiency in Arizona’s Maricopa County. Note that with decoupled systems, air-side free cooling has a limited ability to contribute to the overall zone cooling capacity in certain geographic locations. It is for this reason that water-side cooling becomes an important consideration for extended chiller-free operating hours using evaporative or hybrid cooling towers or dry-coolers. Water consumption and treatment must be considered relative to capital and operating costs if water-side free cooling includes evaporative cooling towers as a part of the mechanical solution.

Passive Radiant Device and System Design Considerations

When designing radiant cooling systems, it’s important to evaluate a building’s latent cooling requirement to assess the appropriate use of decoupled strategies and to calculate the radiant device capacities. To evaluate the suitability of a building or space for a decoupled ventilation solution, and terminal sensible cooling/heating using radiant panels/sails, it's relatively simple to determine the air-side load fraction (ALF). The ALF determines the overall contribution to the sensible cooling of the space delivered by the primary air to the control zone to suit the greatest of the following three parameters:

1)  Minimum ventilation per ASHRAE Standard 62.1;

2)  Minimum mass-flow of primary air/outside air to satisfy the latent loads of the space. This is driven by the dew point difference between the primary air off-coil condition and the design condition of the zone and can be calculated using the following simplified equation for projects at sea-level altitude; and

CFM (QL) = Q/ (0.68*∆Gr)

CFM (QL): Cfm of primary/outside air to manage the latent load in the zone. QL: Zone latent load (Buth) ∆Gr: Grain difference between the room design dew point and the primary air off-coil moisture content.

3) Determine if any additional airflow may be required to supplement and/or support the terminal radiant sensible cooling solution.

As a general rule, if the ALF ≤ 0.8 (see Note 2), the zone could be a suitable candidate for decoupling the sensible loads in the room from the air-side loads (see Table 1). Higher ALF values are acceptable but typically represent a lower potential fan-energy savings than those spaces exhibiting lower ALF values.

Once the ventilation and latent control is calculated and managed in the space via the delivery of the outside air/primary air, the balance of the cooling/heating would then be provided by the radiant ceiling/sail devices, also known as the terminal devices, and any supplemental primary air that may be required to bolster the control in the space. It should be noted that DOAS discharge air should be designed to a low enough dew point to control building humidity, approximately 6°-8° dew point depression off the cooling coil. Some spaces exhibit cooling loads beyond that which radiant terminal devices can yield with their permissible ceiling coverage area. As a result, supplemental primary/outside air may be required to offset these shortfalls. A balance between capital cost and auxiliary primary/outside air will typically limit ceiling coverage to approximately 80%. The manufacturer’s software or an architecturally iterative solution will yield a balance of these terminal products and the consumed supply air.

Variations of Performance of Panels and Sails and Why

Radiant terminals can be supplied in either panel or louvered sail designs, each having a different performance capacity. The typical radiant terminal unit's sensible cooling capacity is driven by the approach temperature. The approach temperature for either of these devices is described as the difference between the room design dry-bulb set point temperature and the average uniform surface temperature of the radiant panel/sail. The anticipated capacity of these terminal products ranges between 21-44 Btuh per square foot at an approach temperature of 12°. Radiant panels are approximated to yield 50% of their sensible cooling effect via radiant exchange within the space, and their remaining capacity is the result of downward convective currents from the chilled surfaces of the panels.

Radiant sail technologies raise the overall sensible cooling effect in the space but do so by lowering the radiant cooling effect in the space and raising the downward convective current’s contribution to the total (See Figures 2 and 3).

The highest-performing sails yield approximately 30% radiant and 70% convective cooling in the zone. It’s important to note that as a result of their convective contribution, radiant sails are typically mounted below the ceiling approximately 8 inches in order to provide a thermal convective pathway for the air within a control zone to circulate (see Note 3 and Figure 4).

Notes

  1. Warm air rises to the ceiling level and migrates behind the sail to be cooled at a chilled surface.
  2. Chilled surfaces at the sail act as a heat sink via radiant heat exchange to the occupants and cool the warm air above the terminal unit.
  3. The sail is serviced with chilled water and held no less than 3.6° above the room dew point temperature to prevent condensation and falls into the space as the convective cooling contribution to the sail’s overall sensible cooling total.
  4. Convective currents are established as cooled air falls from between the sail blades then warmed and recirculated to the ceiling after being heated by the sensible loads of the space.

Chilled Water Loop Design Considerations, Piping, and Control

Large panel field arrays are generally piped in reverse-return circuits within the zone to minimize the use of water-balancing valves across the field. Two-pipe changeover systems are common and oftentimes serviced with six-way valves. In colder climates, four-pipe solutions are generally favored but are restricted to panel solutions, as radiant sails are not generally fabricated for heating applications in four-pipe configurations. When sails are used for low-temperature heating applications, the convective portion of the sail’s output is excluded from the net heating effect provided by the sail, as these convective currents rise to the ceiling surface and do not meaningfully contribute to the sensible heating of the space. Additionally, integral reverse-return piping solutions are available from some manufacturers to provide an additional pallet of elegant piping solutions to those consultants looking to solve water distribution challenges of longer continuous runs of perimeter radiant heating with lower hot water temperatures.

Secondary chilled water servicing these terminal products must be 3.6°F warmer than the room design dew point, in order to prevent condensation from forming on the surface of these devices. Additionally, in order to ensure the flow rate within the tubing servicing the panels/sails remains fully turbulent and experiences proper heat transfer, the flow rate must hold a Reynolds number of Re ≥ 4,400. In result, modulating chilled water flow rates are typically restricted to sail products, as this can add a layer of controllability relative to the overall cooling effect and enhance the downward convective airflow control. Radiant sails, as referenced in the sentence above, and panels operating in cooling mode are generally controlled using two-position valves. When considering high-temperature perimeter heating applications, a combination of modulating water-flow control and a hot water boiler reset strategy, indexed to the outside ambient temperature, help to mitigate the risk of radiant asymmetry for occupants near the perimeter.

Chilled Water Reset When Humidity Is Compromised in a Building

Compromised zone humidity levels result in a chilled water lockout (valves drive to closed) condition to prevent condensation from forming on the chilled ceiling/sail. However, two-pipe changeover applications allow for the conversion of the loop to heating to purge the loop volume from the terminal products and further limit the risk to any zone-level condensation. A chilled water reset strategy can also be employed for off-peak shoulder seasons to further extend chilled-water energy savings.

Conclusion

On July 28, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a final determination that ANSI/ASHRAE/IEW Standard 90.1-2019 will become the referenced energy efficiency standard and offered instructions to each state to “…review the provisions of their commercial building code regarding energy efficiency and, as necessary, update their codes to meet or exceed Standard 90.1-2019.”

The American Institute of Architects' (AIA’s) 2030 commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions will very likely require reexamination of HVAC design strategies to meet the commitment’s objective. According to Architecture 2030, HVAC systems generate approximately 40% of a building’s carbon footprint. Other national and local initiatives are driving building design teams to reevaluate how buildings are made and assess embodied and operational carbon impacts. At the same time, there is a national effort to improve IAQ in buildings. On Oct. 10, the White House held its first IAQ Summit and opened a Clean Air In Buildings Webpage, offering building owners an IAQ challenge. Historically, better IAQ came at a cost: greater energy consumption. One-hundred percent outside air passive radiant systems are applicable design strategies to span the divide between meeting or exceeding ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2019 performance guidelines while maintaining healthier environments through enhanced IAQ. The opportunity for superior IAQ becomes apparent as thermally stratified environments result in a single pass of clean, conditioned, 100% outside air across occupant breathing zones. By exploiting all four modes of heat transfer, 100% OSA/passive radiant cooling and heating systems provide building owners the best of both worlds by reducing operating costs while securing a healthier more comfortable built environment that promotes an occupant’s personal sense of well-being.

References

  1. Thermal plume profile: An occupant’s rising thermal plume velocity profile varies across the occupant’s body from approximately 2-5 fpm at the feet and lower legs up to 45-50 fpm at thoracic region of greater mass and energy density.
  2. Air-side load fraction definition is the percentage of the sensible load that is serviced by the primary air that is needed to meet the ASHRAE 62.1 requirements, and/or the latent loads in a space. Any value less than unity “1.0” represents fan-energy savings potential. The lower the air-side load fraction, the greater the opportunity there is for primary-air fan-energy savings. During the design phase, this calculation should be performed on a zone-level basis to prequalify spaces as suitable candidates for decoupled ventilation, or it can be used to provide evidence that an alternative HVAC strategy may be required for spaces where the ALF exceeds 1.0.
  3. Unlike radiant panels, sails do not provide any acoustic attenuation within the space. Supplemental acoustic treatment may be required within the occupied zone, depending on the acoustic design criteria. See acoustic treatment fastened to the ceiling above the sail at position No. 2 in Figure 4.
  4. Reverse-Return Piping explanation: In radiant heating/cooling panel applications, where large distributed piping arrays may exist, this copper tubing circuit option allows the first tube to act as a supply “main” and the last tube on the panel to act as the “return.” This has the advantage of lowering the distribution piping, which must be hung in the space to service the panels, and adds the benefit of having this distribution piping pre-insulated by the factory. This strategy can help to minimize field piping labor and materials to insulate the mains in some cases.

The integration of green walls with HVAC systems can help reduce the energy required to maintain occupant comfort levels by minimizing heat transfer through the building envelope.

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Net-Zero Energy & Net-Zero Carbon: Design Strategies to Reach Performance Goals

Net-Zero Energy & Net-Zero Carbon: Design Strategies to Reach Performance Goals

As the effects of climate change intensify across the world, the AEC industry is shifting toward green building to effectively address the climate crisis. In 2020, members of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) overwhelmingly approved a resolution making environmental stewardship the organization’s top priority. Since then, steady progress has been achieved to develop a Climate Action Plan, evolve the Framework for Design Excellence, and increase participation in the 2030 Commitment. The building and construction sector is responsible for 36% of energy consumption, 38% of energy related carbon emissions, and 50% of resource consumption globally. These percentages are expected to double in total footprint by 2060, exacerbating the negative effects of climate change on the environment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 Report warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. The world must act fast to avoid these catastrophic events, and decarbonizing the built environment is a major step in the right direction.

Many government organizations and climate-conscious entities are pushing for all new buildings, developments, and renovations to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2040. Architects, engineers, and all parties involved in the building design process must begin implementing sustainable strategies into their workflows to achieve these goals and make a significant impact in the fight against climate change. In this e-book, we outline the differences between net-zero energy and net-zero carbon and provide key design strategies to help architects and engineers meet performance targets.

What is Net-Zero Energy (NZE)?

Net-Zero Energy refers to the ability of a building to offset the amount of energy required to build and operate throughout its lifetime. A building can be designed toward net-zero and offset its energy use in three ways:

  1. Producing energy onsite via equipment like solar panels or wind turbines.

  2. Accounting for its energy use through clean energy production offsite.

  3. Reducing the amount of energy required through design optimization.

These are typically complementary strategies, with the first option directly linked to the initial costs of the building design. Achieving NZE is not technically dependent on the building being efficient, but the most effective and cost-efficient strategy to achieve NZE is reducing the energy load and then utilizing renewable energy to offset the remaining energy use requirements. Optimizing the energy requirements of a properly designed building exponentially helps reduce power demand and the amount of power to produce or offset.

What is Net-Zero Carbon

Achieving NZC requires the reduction and offsetting of non-sustainable building materials and construction practices that cause high carbon emissions, like specifying building materials with low kgCO2e values. Similar to achieving NZE, the reduction of carbon has an exponential effect on a building design that is net-zero carbon.

Net-Zero Carbon = Total Carbon Emitted - Total Carbon Avoided

Design Strategies

Reduction is the overarching design approach for all net-zero strategies as it directly affects the energy/carbon required to offset later. Reducing the energy demand on a building provides the appropriately sized system for building operations and can lead to large cost savings. Reducing embodied carbon through material decisions often results in enhanced occupant experience by decreasing harmful off-gassing from chemicals that affect the occupants' productivity.

It’s important to note that rule-of-thumb concepts are not enough to make a net-zero building, as each building and its conditions are unique and optimization is the key to striking the neutral-balance. However, there are common design strategies that help teams understand the impact of their decisions. Applying any number of the below strategies during your design process will guide your work toward energy and embodied carbon reduction and keep your project on track toward net-zero.

1. Passive Strategies

Designing with passive strategies is about understanding the environmental constraints of the site and designing a response that does not require active mechanical systems. Examples include using ambient energy sources to cool, heat, shade, or ventilate a building space. Working with the existing natural conditions without requiring added electrical load helps decrease the energy required to offset for a net-zero building. Environmental qualities have a critical role in design to know what is specifically needed to minimize heat transfer through the building envelope (exterior walls), which will then rely less on mechanical systems to maintain occupant comfort levels. The challenge with designing for passive strategies is that they must be incorporated in the early stages of the process to be effective.

2. Solar Shading

Solar shading is a form of solar control that can be used to optimize the amount of solar heat gain and visible light that is admitted into a building. Solar Shading is a powerful passive strategy that if fully utilized can have a massive impact on a building’s overall performance and space quality. A good way to think about this is to consider that the heat added to the inside of your building has to be adjusted to stay at set temperature levels, typically by an HVAC system. The less the mechanical system has to work, the less energy you need to use, and the more likely your design will reach net-zero. Solar shading encompasses a large scope of design strategies, like WWR (Window to Wall Ratio),  Glazing Placement, Fenestration Performance, Shading Elements, among others.

Using this strategy, designers can reduce energy use and have a strong impact on the thermal and visual comfort of the occupants by preventing overheating and glare during sunny seasons in the year. However, the effectiveness of the shading strategy is dependent on multiple factors, including shading device type, depth, context, and building program.

3. Active Strategies

A building's energy use refers to the energy required to operate and sustain the project once it's occupied. The metric is expressed as the energy per square foot per year (kBtu/ft2/yr), or as it is more commonly known, as the EUI or energy use intensity. By calculating the energy a building consumes annually, designers can better predict the project’s cost as it is directly linked to a building's energy consumption.

EUI breakdown includes heating, cooling, lighting, equipment, fans, pumps, and hot water, representing the mechanical system of a functional building. A more detailed overview of what is covered in these categories can be found here.

The goal is to increase the efficiency of the active system to decrease the demand for energy overall. Showing a reduction of energy use is helpful, but to reach net-zero energy the optimal overall solution is crucial as every project has many variables and entities involved that don't all have net-zero as the top priority. Optimizing for energy reduction and initial cost helps the whole team quickly reach an informed decision on the best route forward with the best performing options at the table. Optimization is the core powerhouse of reaching net-zero building design.

4. Renewable Energy

On-site renewable energy is another essential tool for reaching net-zero. Off-site renewable energy is also essential but requires live operational data from the source energy (power plant) and is thus outside the scope of building design. Providing energy generation is the final tool for net-zero energy design and is possible through technologies that produce electricity, like wind or photovoltaic "solar" panels. The strategy is simple: Use natural energy sources like the wind or the sun to generate electricity.

For a building to reach net-zero, this strategy must produce enough electricity to cover what it uses annually. For example, solar panels are an assembly of silicon cells mounted in a frame with wiring that helps absorb and convert sunlight into usable electricity. By calculating the total square feet of panels and the type of panels used, designers can calculate the annual power generation of the building project. Power generation is the final piece of building design to reach both net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon status.

To achieve positive results, it is necessary for the designers and all the actors present in the construction to have access to information and data so that they can choose the best solutions and strategies for each situation. In this sense, analysis and simulations are valuable resources. Cove.tool’s drawing.tool is a free modeling platform that supports the designer during design, analysis and prototyping. In addition, the company is launching the International Architecture Design Competition: Carbon Positive Affordable Housing to discover design ideas that can be replicated in multiple neighborhoods, while fighting climate change and mitigating the housing crisis.

Learn more about the tool in our catalog.

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Cite: "Net-Zero Energy & Net-Zero Carbon: Design Strategies to Reach Performance Goals" 16 Dec 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/972553/net-zero-energy-and-net-zero-carbon-design-strategies-to-reach-performance-goals> ISSN 0719-8884

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The use of green walls in buildings can also help reduce energy consumption by providing natural light and reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Integrating indoor green walls with lighting systems can help reduce energy consumption by providing natural light and reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The integration of green walls with other building systems can help create a sustainable and net-zero energy building.

Optimizing HVAC and lighting systems based on occupancy patterns can serve as a lucrative starting point for energy efficiency improvements.

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AI And Decarbonization: Building A Greener Future Brick By Brick

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There is no doubt that buildings have an enormous impact on the environment, with some estimating that they contribute up to 40% of global emissions, split quite evenly between the construction and operations phases. Alongside this, some organizations suggest that almost 90% of buildings lack software systems for energy management. But even with the dearth of systems in this area, the potential for AI remains significant.

Implementing digital platforms in the operations space can lead to energy efficiency improvements ranging from 10% to 50%, depending on the specific characteristics of the building. For instance, warehouses that require lighting and have fewer heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems might observe lower savings. For their part, commercial buildings with high occupancy fluctuations could see savings soaring by up to 50%. On average, we anticipate a reduction of about 30% in energy consumption per building.

If we manage to escalate the proportion of buildings equipped with energy management systems from the current 10% to upwards of 50% and factor in the average energy consumption reduction of 30%, the implications will be enormous. This potentially mitigates one-third of the energy efficiency-related CO2 emissions, constituting 20% of the global CO2 issue.

Demand for digital systems

Over the past few years, there has been a clear surge in interest in energy management applications, driven by changing priorities at a corporate level, especially among Fortune 500 companies. Previously, energy management was relegated to facility managers and was not a significant concern in the broader cost structure of real estate companies. However, with energy prices escalating globally, spurred by various geopolitical factors affecting oil and gas prices, there is an acute awareness and emphasis on developing and implementing decarbonization plans.

For instance, countries like Germany and France are experiencing significant spikes in energy costs. Consequently, real estate CEOs worldwide recognize the financial viability of investing in energy management systems. They anticipate attractive returns on investment over five to seven years, with internal rates of return ranging between 20% and 30%.

If we are to build next-generation, sustainable, green buildings, we need to start looking at how we can use AI in the design and construction of buildings.

To provide a clearer picture, when analyzing energy consumption in a commercial building, approximately one-third is attributed to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; another third to lighting; and the remaining portion to other utilities, including charging stations and minor refrigeration needs. Focusing on optimizing the HVAC and lighting systems based on occupancy patterns can serve as a lucrative starting point, potentially followed by integrating solar roofing and advanced storage systems to streamline energy demand further and minimize costs.

It's important to note that these trends are particularly prominent in the US market. The conversation with customers has evolved considerably. Today, the emphasis is less on adopting these measures for sustainability alone and more on the economic sense and return on investment they promise.

Understanding the source of data

If we are to build next-generation, sustainable, green buildings, we need to start looking at how we can use AI in the design and construction of buildings. But AI needs quality data to be effective. The one thing we know about the data collated by buildings is that it has traditionally been collected in silos.

This means we must first understand the sources of this data. These can come from the HVAC system, lighting, access control, solar panels, and EV chargers – all of which are strewn across an environment and aren't typically designed to "speak" to each other. However, with the advent of industrial IoT, we have seen what was initially considered unimportant data move into the data lake.

With this data now available to be analyzed, and with the development of data platforms specifically tailored to measure the data provided by these sensors, we can start using AI to ask commercial and industrial buildings, warehouses, schools, office buildings, and industrial campuses to paint a better picture of their performance, resource use, and impact on the environment.

The important thing about AI is that you can quickly create a view of your building using comparisons between similar buildings and environments, even with scant information. This includes geography, utility bills, size, and so on. Yes, it’s not a perfect science. But, creating a blueprint that states that you can reduce energy consumption by up to 35% based on similar use cases is still an effective use of data.

Designing buildings for the future

It's easy to say building designers need to speak to construction companies, and both need to deal with operations before a building is drawn, ground is broken, and brick is laid. The reality is that these parties are like ships in the night and very seldom talk to each other. All too often, we see breaks in communication between designers, operations companies, and construction, which leads to inefficiencies and a design that’s far removed from the original vision.

AI will have a significant impact on creating a domain view when it comes to energy across the lifecycle and helping ensure buildings are built right from the start.

A way to get a clearer (non-emotional) view is to use a digital twin when designing a building. This twin provides a 3D view of the design, the tenant experience, the energy consumption, and the carbon footprint when occupied and all the systems are in use. We now need to add questions to the digital twin. These can include what it will cost to build a net-zero building, what materials are better, what trade-offs can be made in material usage, and what will the building cost me over ten years?

While some systems can provide at least some of this information, we aren't quite at a point where a holistic view of a building's environmental impact and carbon footprint during the design phase can be created. This information is essential to calculate if a full net zero or a little less than net zero approach should be taken, as the results versus investment are negligible.

Putting AI to work

AI will have a significant impact on creating a domain view when it comes to energy across the lifecycle and helping ensure buildings are built right from the start. The thinking around AI is currently very much in the consulting and services space. However, building managers need to have a clear view of what the return on investment is when they make changes.

Specifically, when looking at tools such as ChatGPT in decision-making, the way to get a handle on reducing energy and operational costs is by helping our customers understand their domain better. While it may seem counterintuitive, achieving this will ensure we can better align the AI's objectives with business goals and the environment's needs. With this alignment, the buildings can be decarbonized based on return on investment, not just environmental impact.

Deploying AI in energy management

What the future holds is moving from rule-based to schedule-based optimization. Currently, if it's cold outside, the heating is turned on, and if it's dark, the lights are turned on. This simplistic approach doesn't account for the plethora of factors that can determine whether these systems need to be active or not. The role of AI in this space is vast.

Auditing and consulting in the construction sector, understanding which buildings are performing well, which aren’t, and where there are gaps will all play a pivotal role in the future development of smart, energy-efficient buildings. And this is exactly where AI will give the advantage to those looking to build greener buildings and decarbonize what are fast becoming burdensome and expensive assets.

The potential benefits of integrating green walls with other building systems include improved air quality, increased energy efficiency, and enhanced occupant health and productivity.

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Content: Huafang: Green Technology Storm Leads the Future Development of Real Estate Industry
Fortune Tracking 13: 21 2022 / 11 / 21
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Environmental problems have never been a single social problem, it is linked to the economic development of our entire human society, and the development of any industry cannot be separated from environmental problems.
The real estate industry accounts for a large amount and intensity of carbon emissions, which involve complex upstream and downstream industrial chains; but at the same time, the extended value chain of development is a leading industry that drives economic growth.
So, in this environment full of opportunities and challenges, where should real estate development go?
“Carbon Peak, Carbon Neutrality ” has been officially written into the Mainland Government ’ s work report as early as 2021.
The 14th Five-Year Plan also includes accelerating the promotion of green and low-carbon development. Green building is no longer a corporate goal, but has risen to the national strategy.
In particular, under the background of "housing not speculation" and the policy control of "three red lines" and "double concentration" land supply mode, the peak of debt repayment of housing enterprises is approaching, and financing is becoming more and more difficult, and green bonds have become the "new grace" for the layout of green building housing financing.
According to market data, in 2020, 95 typical housing companies issued green priority notes amounting to US $1.9 billion, a sharp increase of 245% year-on-year in 2019.
However, in the first half of 2021, with the real estate industry financing decline, the scale of green bond financing in the same period soared nearly twice that of last year, forming a sharp contrast.
Policy requirements coupled with the aura of financing, the real estate industry is setting off a "green storm".
Click the image to enlarge
With the concept of sustainable development into the field of construction, green, environmentally friendly and healthy new building models have become the current mainstream.
In order to better develop the real estate industry, it is necessary to vigorously promote the application of green technology real estate development.
In recent years, the application of green technology in the real estate industry has become an important direction for real estate development exploration.
In essence, the application of green technology in the real estate industry is to change the original "high pollution, high energy consumption" real estate development model, and establish a new type of green technology real estate development model.
For example, in building design, choose double-layer hollow glass as building materials, or according to the location and direction of the property, with humidity, monsoon and other considerations, to design the size and lighting of the doors and windows, in order to adjust the temperature of the room.
In addition, many places will also make good use of environmentally friendly energy called “geothermal sources ”.
It has the effect of environmental protection and energy saving, and in winter, the geothermal pump can be used to bring out the geothermal water circulation technology, which effectively saves the consumption of heating energy; in summer, the reverse cycle of the geothermal pump is used to bring the indoor temperature away from the room, effectively achieving cooling.
Specifically, housing enterprises mainly focus on health, comfort, energy saving, environmental protection, technology and humanities, the concept of building green buildings into residential products, to provide people with a more green, healthy, scientific and technological living environment.
In China, there have been enterprises that insist on green real estate development as the selling point, through the design of a series of green technology building systems, such as new wind system, solar water heating system, etc., to bring residents a "constant temperature, humidity, and oxygen" green technology residential experience, while leading the real estate in the region into the low-carbon era.
At the same time, even if the introduction of green technology has the opportunity to increase construction costs, developers are still willing to invest in the development and innovation of green technology and apply it to their own real estate projects.
For example, the domestic property giant Vanke Group is divided into the following six green technology systems to achieve efficient environmental protection benefits, reduce a lot of construction water and construction waste, accelerate the construction speed, but also reduce outdoor operating time, thereby reducing the impact on the surrounding environment.
Vanke Group 6 green technology systems:
First, sound system - indoor and outdoor sound environment transformation, spiral noise reduction sewer
Second, the light system - wind and light complementary power generation, LED lighting, external sunshade system
Third, heat system - whole house floor heating, solar water heating system, intelligent induction boiler
Fourth, the water system - permeable pavement technology, pipeline direct drinking water, rainwater recycling and rainwater utilization, water saving bathroom
Five, the wind system - full heat exchange new wind system
Six, gas system - E0 class environmental decoration materials
In Hong Kong, due to the rapid development of green finance and the support of the banking sector for real estate “green ”, green bonds are issued to provide funds for developers. Hong Kong is also accelerating the application of green technology in real estate.
For example, in June this year, Bank of East Asia (00023) and Chevalier International (00025) reached a green loan agreement of HK $50 million for the Hong Kong Housing Society ’ s works at “Chung Yuet House ” at Yat Ming Estate, Sha Tin.
This project is an elderly housing project built using the steel MiC construction method to effectively reduce the carbon footprint.
In addition, many banks also provide green mortgages for green buildings that meet the approval of the Hong Kong Green Building Council.
In the context of the promotion of green ecological sustainability and the COVID-19 pandemic, the house is returning to the "living" attribute, and people are eager to return to the embrace of ecology, nature and health, and also put forward corresponding needs for residential products and the environment.
In line with the development trend, the development of green technology real estate is no longer an option, but a must.
Although, the current stage of the development of green technology real estate development has not yet been popularized, but green technology real estate is bound to become the future development trend of the real estate industry.
At the same time, the application of green technology in real estate development will also promote the overall development of the real estate industry in the future.
Author: Law Jue Yu, Executive Director, Huafang Consulting & Evaluation
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However, the integration of green walls with other building systems can also pose challenges, such as increased maintenance needs and potential technical difficulties.

The use of technology, such as climbing robots and digital exhibits, can help monitor and maintain the health of plants in indoor green walls.

Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure the optimal performance of indoor green walls and their integration with other building systems.

Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure the optimal performance of indoor green walls and their integration with other building systems.

The choice of plants for indoor green walls depends on the climate and building conditions, and some plants are more suitable for certain environments than others.

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+ 21 ˚ C
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+ 21 ˚ C
Partly cloudy, No precipitation
It feels like 21.
2 m / s, south
764mm
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Green with effort.
How the new GOST for environmentally friendly construction has affected the housing market
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The new “green ” GOST for construction has been in effect for more than six months: a number of parameters in the standard are mandatory for developers, and some can be introduced voluntarily.
Market players say that the average buyer today is concerned mainly with mortgage payments, and energy efficiency, for example, while paying attention to buyers only higher class housing.
What has changed recently and whether the construction has become more environmentally friendly, said the participants of the round table "Fontanka".
Scrupulous GOST
The story began in 2022, when DOM.RF invited developers to participate in the “run-in ” of GOST:“ to pass through it one of their projects according to different criteria and see how it will work, ” said Alexandra Bolilaya, investment director at LEGENDA Intelligent Development.
According to the application of criteria in practice, the environmental friendliness or “greenness ” of the developer is evaluated, he is given an assessment:“ excellent ”, “good ” and so on.
Together with LEGENDA, two more developers participated in the development of the standard - "Aircraft" and "Etalon", all this lasted from June to December 2022.
- It was not the easiest procedure, since we were the first, and everything was in manual mode, scrupulously: for each criterion it was necessary to give a specific answer and literally in manual mode to calculate, for example, how many meters to the playground, etc., - the expert says. - It turns out that to meet the standard, it is necessary to monitor landscaping in terms of allergenicity - such plantings on the territory should be less than 1%.
I had to express my opinion, participating in the evolution of GOST.
For example, initially a mandatory criterion was prescribed the presence of finishing - we did not consider it correct.
We reasoned our position to DOM.RF, and agreed with us: after all, the buyer must decide whether he needs this finish.
No one has reached the level of “excellent ” according to GOST, the participants stopped at the mark“ good ”.
After the first stage, it became clear that it was difficult to work with each developer, and therefore focused on creating a scoring system.
As explained by Alexandra Bolilaya, now work is underway to maximize the facilitation and automation of the assessment of the “greenness ” of a project.
The authors of GOST expanded the gradation and come to an understanding of what exactly needs to be uploaded to the portal from the developer in order to quickly and seamlessly decide which category to assign to it.
In 2022, we felt more than ever that our buyer may need an alternative independent examination of the quality of his purchase, confirmation that the house he chose is cool, correct.
“DOM.RF ” now notes compliance with the initially declared standard both at the design stage and after the delivery of the object.
Such expertise will give a guarantee to the client that they will build exactly what is drawn in the picture.
And it would be good for us to still have additional feedback about what is of high quality for the market.
“It may seem to an uninformed buyer that before the introduction of GOST there was nothing like this, ” says Andrei Pankov, Deputy General Director for Construction of the Construction Trust Association.
Of course, that's not true.
In our projects, almost all the criteria that underlie the “green ” GOST are used.
The new standard will lead to the involvement of more developers in the careful study of their projects.
It is hoped that the vast majority of projects in the near future will provide residents with a high level of comfort.
We carry out the assessment of compliance with the criteria by our own department responsible for quality control, both during the design and construction phases.
In Setl Group initially a different story: the developer decided to develop from the point of view of green construction the project "Sunny City.
Residences ” and certify it according to the Green Zoom standard, the parameters of which are similar to GOST.
- So far, we have limited ourselves to this project only and have not started to apply it in other facilities, since we have not yet seen much interest from buyers, - said Dmitry Komendantov, head of comfort-class projects of St. Petersburg Real Estate (Setl Group). - At the moment, they are more interested in the mortgage rate, and not the eco-points of the object.
But GOST, of course, works and is designed for years to come, over time it will be used more actively.
We have developed our own internal environmental standard in the company - SetlGreen ("SetlGreen"), it largely coincides with GOST on the main points: barrier-free environment, the availability of bicycle parks and paths, etc.
Multiple parameters
Most of the modern housing is still far from high environmental standards, says Oksana Ponamorenko, director of marketing communications "L1".
According to her, most often eco-friendly projects are more of a marketing term than actually used technologies.
Basically, technologies aimed at reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency are becoming widespread.
To do this, almost all modern houses are equipped with regulators of heating modes, energy-saving lighting lamps, motion sensors, door closers.
- This approach at higher costs at the construction stage pays off when operating the house, - she says. - Therefore, residents are ready to buy apartments in "green" houses even at a higher price.
After all, new technologies have a positive impact on the cost of utilities.
If we talk about gardening, then it has long been a prerequisite for putting the house into operation.
As well as the creation of recreational areas for adults and children, as well as a barrier-free environment for people with limited mobility and car-free areas.
These parameters, according to which the environmental friendliness of the project is assessed, are in most modern projects, including in new buildings of the company L1.
Alexandra Bolilaya proposed to separate two concepts - the standard and the green construction itself.
According to her, the standard is a formality, and development is always about the development of the product.
“When we talk about green construction, every year the focus on different aspects of the product changes, ” she said. – If we first talked about planning solutions, the challenge of 2022 was to create a system of technological infrastructure, we called it“ Technobox ”.
The main task was to arrange the wiring so that ventilation, air conditioning, smart home systems were properly integrated inside the apartment.
In 2023, the focus on the digitalization of the construction process, the same BIM (TIM), came to the first place in order to complete the first implemented stages.
It became important that during the automatic assembly of the house in the figure correctly calculated and "lay down" engineering, so that you can calculate the volume of materials as quickly as possible.
“Construction Trust ” has been the leader of brick housing construction in the North-West for a long time, so our houses meet the“ green ” standards, because ceramic brick is an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient building material that provides not only the “thermos ” effect, but also excellent noise insulation, which is also included in the GOST criteria, ” Andrey Pankov continued. – At the beginning of 2023, we started the second stage of housing development. To NEWPITER in Novoselye, Lomonosovsky District, Leningrad Region.
It is there that the house is being built, which officially received the status of “green ”.
It has a class of energy efficiency A, landscaping and landscaping, children's and sports grounds, barrier-free environment, areas for placing containers for collecting solid waste.
Difficulties with compliance with the parameters did not arise, but it was necessary to correlate the costs and the result that the company will receive from the point of view of business, - says Dmitry Komendantov. - Yes, as a large company that keeps abreast and tries to implement all advanced standards, it is very important for us to implement green projects.
But sometimes this result is not so necessary for the consumer that we are 100% environmentally friendly.
Also, for a number of technical nuances, it is sometimes difficult to fully organize, for example, a barrier-free environment, somewhere - difficulties with green spaces, but we solve all these moments, always fulfill the basic requirements and even exceed the norms.
I think if we now decide to get certification at any of the facilities under construction, it will definitely be an assessment of “good ”.
It's all about resources.
If the construction industry of the Soviet period was based on the principles of standardization and mass production and at that time little thought was given to the energy efficiency of buildings, modern construction technologies give the consumer a wide range of opportunities for savings: from thermal insulation that creates a comfortable microclimate to renewable energy sources, Andrei Pankov emphasized.
Energy-efficient new buildings makes a whole range of measures - facade solutions, glazing, heating regulators, energy-efficient elevators.
As Alexandra Bolilaya added, modern glazing is now done with a special coating of silver ions - through it the sun passes into the apartment in a minimal amount, without requiring once again to turn on air conditioners.
As for the facade, it is one thing to buy facade solutions, and another is to properly assemble the facade “pie ”, because the energy efficiency of the house depends very much on the quality of the assembly.
- Energy efficiency is a consequence of the quality of housing, - the expert continued. - The buyer does not look at the level of energy efficiency, but in general - will his housing be cool?
Now we have all the energy efficiency facilities of class A under construction, we focus on the right facade solutions, the right glazing - so that excess heat does not come from the street and does not leave the apartment.
And we thought that since it is not completely clear for the buyer what the letters on the facade are, it would be interesting to create a kind of gradation together with market experts - how much you can save at what energy efficiency indicator, literally recalculate it in rubles.
This is a multi-parameter calculation, besides, a lot depends on how the resource is spent inside the apartment, up to the frequency of dust wiping from lamps and chandeliers.
– Energy efficiency is a number of parameters: facades, windows, ventilation, ITP, air conditioning, “smart home ” system.
However, there is no universal solution for all classes of products, - says Dmitry Komendantov. - For comfort class suitable mainly standard solutions, for example, the thickness of insulation 150 mm, standard windows.
In high comfort, windows are installed on balconies with a sun-reflecting coating.
In business and elite class facilities, an increased energy efficiency factor is introduced, in all such facilities, the “smart home ” system is introduced, heating is always implemented on horizontal wiring with weather regulation and the ITP system.
In “comfort ” we reach the level of energy efficiency B or C, in a higher class this indicator is higher, since buyers have other requirements for the product.
In practice, less than 1% of customers in the comfort class understand the benefits of a high degree of energy efficiency at home.
The buyer does not know yet.
The buyer ’ s request mainly concerns something that can be seen, conditionally “touched ” and immediately perceived.
According to Dmitry Komendantov, people do not look deeply at the product, for example, up to the optimization of watering plants.
“Touchable environmental friendliness is the main focus of our product, ” he added.“ We divided our internal standard into several groups: environmental friendliness, ergonomics, energy efficiency, water efficiency and so on.
The most important for the consumer remains environmental friendliness not only in terms of certification of finishing and building materials or water treatment, but rather - the way of life on the territory - playgrounds according to eco-standards, recreational zones within the project, the ability to sort garbage and lead a healthy lifestyle.
According to the expert, the company ’ s product is divided into “comfort ”,“ high comfort ” and two higher classes, and the target groups of buyers are different.
- The consumer of "comfort" wants to get a quality house without excess, such as to afford the purchase of an apartment in it, - said the expert. - In the high class to save on their own convenience are not ready.
For example, an increase in the thickness of insulation on a large house will give a colossal increase in the cost of construction and, as a result, a square meter, but this is a serious improvement in thermal insulation.
The system of four-stage water purification, despite the costs, as a result, almost does not waste the resources of residents.
Or cleaning the air in the elevator is inexpensive for us as a developer and, therefore, for buyers.
So the question, “is the consumer ready to pay extra for the“ greenness ”, the answer – it all depends on the selected class of housing.
— We specialize in business class, and our target audience is a family buyer who buys not the first apartment, it is important for him something as comfortable as possible, — added Alexandra Bolilaya. — I believe that now such a market, when for all products above the “economy ” the buyer is important two things: first of all, a mortgage with a monthly payment and built-in financial instruments, the second is the quality of the product.
We initially built houses that meet the highest customer needs and our standards.
The price per square meter we have higher than that of the environment, but the buyer votes in ruble.
- There is no denying the fact that the "green" standard will lead to an increase in costs, which were previously optimized, - Andrei Pankov believes. - But I believe that a modern buyer in the primary real estate market is already quite qualified and consciously approaches the choice of the level of comfort of his future home and its value.
Oksana Ponamorenko believes that in general, many people themselves are not ready to create an environmentally friendly environment.
For example, separate collection of garbage is not for everyone, and the installation of special containers does not help to solve the problem.
More green buildings
The quality of housing in terms of environmental friendliness is growing, especially in regions where it is no longer possible to compare modern projects and what was done 10 years ago, Alexandra Bolilaya continued.
- On the other hand, if we talk about certification, it is also about the activity of housing development institutions, which should be in dialogue with the developer, - she believes. - And here comes a long-standing interesting question: what does the developer get for becoming "green"?
They also discuss a “green ” mortgage with a strong reduction in the rate, and preferential project financing, and“ green ” bonds with a preferential coupon.
But I believe that it is necessary to give preferences for developers who build “green ” houses: the opportunity to get three more plots for the same house or quickly pass the city commission, get a building permit.
Urban motivation would lead to further development of housing quality.
- It is impossible to do without work with the population here, - Dmitry Komendantov added. - To increase the number of "green" houses, it is necessary to interact with people, to convey to them the benefits of this approach.
Today, few people when buying a new building understand what it will save in the future, what and how it will reduce its consumption of resources, do not think about a comfortable microclimate and other options.
The “green ” consciousness is still poorly developed – with its actualization, the development of“ green ” construction will also come.
And Oksana Ponamorenko added - in her opinion, the development of eco-construction can contribute to the "green" mortgage, which is planned to be launched to replace the program with state support.
- On the portal "Nash.dom.rf" now you can make a selection of objects according to the criteria of the "green" standard, - summed up Andrei Pankov. - I think that in the near future this opportunity can migrate to the popular portals aggregators of real estate offers.
And then developers for the sake of maintaining competitiveness will need to bring their projects to the standards of "green" construction.
Therefore, the number of projects of “green ” houses will grow.
Anna Romanova, Fontanka.ru
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Energy-efficient measures, such as special glazing, additional insulation of walls and roofs, and ventilation systems with heat recovery, can reduce heat losses in buildings and optimize the performance of indoor green walls.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems can help reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

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Content: People 's Network > > International
Many countries actively explore the promotion of green building (international perspective)
Our reporter Guan Kejiang Xu Hailin Xie Jianning
April 19, 2023 06: 02 | Source: People's Daily - People's Daily
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According to the World Green Building Council, the construction industry's carbon emissions account for about 40% of global carbon emissions, through the promotion of green buildings can save 50% of energy, 60% of water resources, reduce 80% of waste generation, 45% of carbon dioxide emissions.
In recent years, some countries have actively promoted green buildings, and promoted more buildings to achieve energy conservation and carbon reduction by creating green communities, improving building energy efficiency, and strict certification standards.
United Arab Emirates —
Building a Green and Harmonious Community
Walking into Dubai Sustainable City, there is a leisurely pastoral scene in front of you: ducks playing in the water by the pond, children riding bicycles and playing, and many people in the distance gather on the grass … Sustainable City was put into operation in 2015, and is one of the earliest communities in the Middle East to propose and achieve green development.
The community covers an area of 46 hectares, in an irregular rectangle, and is divided into three blocks from the outside to the inside.
The outermost circle is sheltered forest and canopy track, bicycle lane; inside is the commercial area and residential area.
The business district is also a leisure plaza, with many restaurants, laundry, bicycle repair shops and so on.
The 500 villas in the residential area are divided into five units, separated by the carport, cars can only be parked in the carport, not into the community.
In addition, there are schools, equestrian clubs, resident gardens and rehabilitation centers, and the middle green zone runs through the community from west to east, with constructed wetlands, ponds, swimming pools, and 11 domed greenhouses to grow a variety of vegetables for the residents in need.
Photovoltaic panels are installed on the roofs of all buildings in the Sustainable City, which can meet the electricity needs of 3,000 people in the entire community.
The road between residents' houses is specially designed to form an air duct, which can effectively reduce the temperature in the community in summer.
The community encourages low-carbon living. In 2021, residents spend about 60% of the Dubai average on water, and 80% of household waste is recycled and reused.
In 2022, Sustainable City was named the “Happiest Community ” in the Bay Area by Dubai Land Authority.
Hardir Ahmed, head of public relations at developer Diamond Development, said polls showed that the highest rating was the ban on cars entering the community.
Many parents say that this way they can safely let their children play in the community and help maintain the air quality in the community.
This initiative has also brought neighbourhoods closer, with people in the community walking, cycling, riding a shared battery car and other ways to travel, meet each other every day, and have more communication.
Sustainable City is now one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Dubai, with residential and business districts fully staffed.
On the basis of this model, she and her partners have developed three more communities in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Oman.
The first phase of the Abu Dhabi project was delivered not long ago and sold out within half an hour.
She said: “This shows that green buildings and sustainable living are increasingly popular.
We also want to use this business model to demonstrate that sustainable living is technically feasible, economically cost-effective and more responsive to the needs of the population in terms of social integration. "
Spain — —
Support for energy saving renovation of houses
In the Asturias region of northern Spain, there is a mountain hut built like a "building block".
The components of the house were produced by a factory in Madrid in four months and then "assembled" in just five hours.
The house shape borrows from the traditional Spanish barn style to ensure the uniqueness of the building and its adaptability to the environment, and the modular house components also minimize environmental pollution such as construction noise and waste.
Spain's unique geographical location, the history of the convergence of a variety of civilizations, the birth of Gaudí, Mirales, Calatrava and other world-renowned architects, different areas of architecture have their own characteristics.
In recent years, the Spanish architectural community has placed increasing emphasis on the application of sustainable concepts to architectural design and construction, and has introduced many green buildings that are both artistic and sustainable.
According to Spanish media reports, many buildings in the country have obtained international green building certification, ranking in the top ten in the world.
In Barcelona, Spain ’ s second largest city, known for its Gaudi architecture, there is a six-story building called “The Wall Garden ”, which adds a rich touch of green to the urban space. The“ Wall Garden ” was born from the side wall of a demolished building and has been transformed for a variety of greenery.
The steel platform of its exterior wall is connected to the internal staircase and is equipped with irrigation and fertilization systems that can be controlled through a mobile phone app.
After the irrigation water from the upper platform is absorbed by the plants, the excess water will flow to the next platform.
The bird house built into the garden platform provides a habitat for wild animals such as birds.
This small building helps regulate the temperature, purify the air, and reduce the energy cost of the residents around the building, which has become a well-known "punch point" in the local area.
The Spanish government has allocated 6.8 billion euros from the recovery fund of the "Next Generation EU" program to support energy-saving renovation of buildings.
The government plans to complete the sustainable renovation of 500,000 homes by 2026 to improve the energy efficiency of these buildings.
According to Kay Kilman, European head of the US Green Building Council, Spain is growing rapidly in the field of green building. “We look forward to working with countries like Spain to find innovative ways to build better communities for a sustainable future. ”
Mexico — —
Regulate green building certification standards
Mexico has an average of 5.5 hours of direct sunlight per day, making it one of the most sunny countries in the world.
In recent years, Mexico has actively promoted green buildings and made full use of natural resources such as solar energy to save energy.
According to data from data analysis and consulting firm Global Data, the number of green building projects in Mexico has increased rapidly.
Located on Reforma Avenue in the heart of Mexico City, in order to maximize the use of natural light, the interior of the building uses open office space, most of the windows extend from the floor to the ceiling, through the use of special glass materials, both increase natural light and reduce heat transfer, to keep the interior cool.
The building is equipped with an intelligent lighting system that can adjust the use of indoor fluorescent lamps according to the amount of sunlight entering the building.
The building also collects and treats rainwater and waste water through a special water treatment system for flush toilets, coolers, greenfield irrigation, etc., which can reduce water consumption by 75%.
“We want this building project to be a model for the greening of the community and to encourage all parties to provide more incentives for the development of green buildings, ” said Javier Presas, the building ’ s design project manager.
In 2015, Mexico committed to the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030 by encouraging the construction of sustainable buildings and promoting the use of solar panels, heaters, etc., to better combat climate change.
To this end, Mexico is constantly improving regulations, stipulating green building certification standards and minimum environmental requirements, and elaborating regulations on building energy efficiency. In 2021, Mexico City ’ s environmental department released a new green building certification program aimed at improving sustainability standards during building design, construction and operation, and promoting efficient use of resources.
The Mexican National Housing Commission has also created different incentive schemes to subsidize the purchase of green housing.
The Mexican state of Yucatán is the first to sign a net-zero construction commitment, which aims to achieve zero emissions from some buildings by 2030 and net-zero emissions from all buildings in the state by 2050.
Mexico City offers property tax relief for buildings with green roofs and solar hot water systems.
More and more building developers are adopting green building certification systems in the early stages of building construction to reduce energy consumption, water consumption and building materials energy consumption through optimized design.
“The number of green building projects in Mexico is growing by 25% every year, ” said Cesar Trevino, managing director of Biobuilding and Alternative Energy Mexico. In the face of climate and health challenges, it is important to continuously optimize buildings and interior spaces to improve the human environment.
(Dubai, Madrid, Mexico City)
People 's Daily (April 19, 2023, 15 edition)
(Editor: Zhao Xinyue, Yue Hongbin)
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Green buildings can save 50% of energy, 60% of water resources, reduce 80% of waste generation, and 45% of carbon dioxide emissions.

The integration of indoor green walls with other building systems can help achieve net-zero energy and net-zero carbon design strategies.