Foilage Based Air Conditioning Boost

Image Credit: Businesswire

It's an interesting idea, using plants along the sun-facing wall to reduce summer heat. Kyocera began this project in 2007 for its Japan offices and now has their 'Green Curtain' on 12 of it's factories and offices.

Inexpensive and simple to do, a trellis is set outside the window areas and a foilage plant such as morning glory is planted to grow and closely intertwine over the window area. The employees get a filtered light and load on the air conditioning system is reduced, providing a direct cost savings during the hot summer months.

Effectiveness testing has shown that the temperature of a sheltered outer wall can be up to 15°C (27°F) lower than the temperature of an unsheltered wall with no green curtain growing. This reduces the workload of the air-conditioning system in the factories and offices. The additional positive effect beyond saving energy is a reduction in CO2 due to photosynthesis.

Some employees have taken a liking to the goya plant as a green curtain, because it not only provides a cooling effect but also produces an edible vegetable, which can be harvested by the employees and prepared in the kitchen.

Sources: Fox Business, QualitySmith Cooling, Central Air Conditioning