Using indoor living wall systems as a climate control method in hot humid climates

Abstract

In hot and humid climates, for those that can afford it, air conditioning is a standard requirement and designers generally intend their buildings to include some sort of mechanical cooling system to achieve indoor comfort. Consequently, cooling or heating a building requires high-energy demands. The aim of this project was to develop an optional cooling tool based on the integration of a Living Wall System (LWS), a mechanical fan and a dehumidification process (desiccant) to reduce the use of an HVAC system. A prototype was built to evaluate its performance within a hot humid environment. The evapotranspiration from this living wall, the fan and the desiccant working together contributed to the lowering of temperatures around the planting environment. The study showed that it is possible to use the evapotranspiration of plants for air-cooling and humidity control.