Selection of suitable plant species for energy efficient Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS)

Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) are getting popular in congested urban cities throughout the world. The selection of suitable plant species heavily influences the success of VGS. Plant selection principles of VGS are barely discussed in existing literature. Therefore, this paper intends to explore factors influencing selection of plants in detail. The paper discusses the plant characteristics and plant selection principles. Furthermore, EnergyPlus simulations have been performed based on a case study in Hong Kong to demonstrate the effect of different plant characteristics on energy saving. The results show that leaf area index is the most influential plant parameter in thermal performance of VGS. The study highlights the importance of selecting suitable plant species in enhancing the energy benefits of VGS. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.