How economically sustainable are green facades and living walls for your buildings?

What is it about?

Vertical greenery systems, including green facades and living walls, are documented to be of significance to address the urban issues such as heat islands, energy efficiency in buildings, and climate change mitigation. However, most users are apprehensive of using them in buildings because of high costs associated with them. This article presents a systematic review of economic performance of both green facades and living walls using economic indicators such as internal rate of return (IRR), Net Present Value (NPV) and cost benefit analysis (CBA).

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Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The review establishes that while vertical greenery systems offer a wide range of benefits, some systems, such as modular living walls, may be economically unsustainable. Green facades, on the other hand, are inexpensive and provide benefits that outweigh their operating and maintenance costs.

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