Long-term analysis of felt-based living green walls: microclimate monitoring and simulation calibration

Increasing vegetation in urban areas is a key climate mitigation strategy, with green walls being an effective solution to reduce ambient air temperatures during the cooling season across various climate types. This study involves long-term monitoring of the hygrothermal behavior of felt-based living green walls (LGW) using two test cells to assess their impacts on both interior and exterior environments. One test cell features a felt-based LGW, while the other serves as a control. The research employs wireless sensors, including indoor air temperature, surface temperature, and relative humidity sensors, alongside a meteorological station that collects detailed microclimate data such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.

The study presents the calibration process of a Design Builder simulation model using real-time experimental data. ASHRAE-14 suggests an error margin of ±5% to ±10% of the measured data, depending on the complexity and accuracy of the model. The results indicate that the calibration process is highly sensitive to weather factors, especially air temperature, which must be carefully considered and adjusted in the simulation. This research highlights the importance of evaluating the relative impact of physical model variables on calibration accuracy, providing valuable insights to improve the fidelity of building performance models under dynamic environmental conditions.