| Abstract |
Indoor living walls, consisting of plants grown on substrates using fabric layers or pre-vegetated panels, offer passive cooling and enhance occupants’ comfort through evapotranspiration. Despite their potential benefits, few studies quantify their impact on occupant satisfaction and thermal comfort. This study focused on a hydroponic indoor living wall with a 25% leaf-to-floor area ratio across room temperatures ranging from 23.0 to 27.0 °C (73.4–80.6 °F). Comparing spaces with and without living walls, surveys revealed improved thermal comfort with living wall systems. On average, thermal sensation votes (TSV) were up to 0.70 points lower at 24.5 °C with living walls, equivalent to a 2.2 °C (4.0 °F) temperature reduction. Additionally, 15% fewer participants preferred a cooler environment with living walls present. Gender-based TSV differences decreased by 0.29–0.78 points, indicating occupants’ ability to adapt to higher temperatures. The study suggests that with indoor living walls, cooling setpoints can be increased by 0.7 °C (1.3 °F) and 0.9 °C (1.6 °F) for 90 and 80% thermally acceptable ranges, respectively, resulting in potential HVAC energy savings of 7.07–8.48% for medium-sized offices. Integrating indoor living walls in office buildings could significantly reduce energy usage, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability. |
, Liping Wang 
