Summary- Plants are very important, especially when they are not just there to look pretty. Many architects have enacted designs to place vertical growing plants on the sides of buildings. So instead of using industrial insulation you could just grow your own insulation on the side of your house. This technique has been proven to reduce temperatures inside the building by up to 6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Personal Response-I think this is a very intriguing technology. The potential for this is great, considering that there are so many buildings. Not only would the use of “living walls” cut down on energy use such as heating and cooling, but it also takes carbon dioxide out of the air. Plus, if added to an already efficient house, it is easily believable to see that household becoming carbon neutral, or even positive. Some of the drawbacks of this system, are that the plants do need to be watered, the house needs to be fitted with equipment so that the plants don’t hurt the structural integrity, and the plants can only live in certain places. Even with those negatives in mind, I don’t see them outweighing the benefits the vertically growing plants provide.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/business/energy-environment/28iht-rbogwall.html
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Wow! How fascinating! I personally dont have air conditioning so some sort of natural installation to make the house cooler would be wonderful! Other then my personal uses it would cut down on energy used as well i dont really know about installation but it doesnt seem like it would be healthy for the environment when it is produced. This seems like a fascinating new invention.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I doubt that this system could be applied universally all over the globe, it would be very beneficial in warmer, moist climates. In places like the southeastern United States, a majority of the energy produced is used for air conditioning. If even a combination of plant insulation and air conditioning could be worked out, it would drastically reduce the energy consumption of these homes. I am glad that you brought up the issue of water consumption - its true, these plants would use water and this fact can not be overlooked. Similar to the solar energy systems that consume vast quantities of water to cool down, the negative of water consumption may be ignored for this alternative system. Still, I am with both of you in believing that this is an exciting, positive innovation that should be implemented.
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