Abstract:
Vertical Green Systems (VGS) play an important role in creating more resilient and sustainable
urban settings by efficiently tackling several environmental concerns while also contributing to a
vibrant and healthier environment. Numerous researches on vertical gardening systems has
shown that they have a favorable influence on urban sustainability and overall quality of life
across social, economic, and environmental aspects. The purpose of this research is to evaluate
the thermal benefits of VGS in various urban contexts, especially in the Colombo district, during
hot, humid end-of-summer sunny conditions in August. The study compared the thermal benefits
of several vertical greening configurations, taking into consideration plant percentage and
orientations (100% East-West, 50% East-West, and 75% North-South). Selected VGS
configurations were strategically employed across four locations using different fractions based
on ENVI-met designs. The research includes the introduction of different fractions of ENVI-met
designs to the site, using carefully chosen vertical green attributes, to assess the thermal
advantages. Furthermore, air temperature at 1.5 m was retrieved from ENVI-met IDT data, and
actual and predicted temperatures were compared. Under present conditions, the software
validation exhibited great accuracy with a 0.9838 R2 for simulated versus real ground
measurements. The research findings revealed that applying various vertical greenery
treatments in accordance with their vegetative proportions resulted in a significant decrease in
outdoor temperature. Consistent with the research outcomes, the Colombo district observed
decreases in temperature ranging from 1 to 2.5 ⁰C after adopting various forms of VGS. Vertical
Greenery Applications at full intensity (100%) and in the East-West direction yielded the most
temperature decline, whereas 75% North-South configuration generated the least.
