An Experimental Study on Effects of Indoor Plants on Temperature and Humidity in a Test House

The use of vertical greenery systems in buildings is becoming more and more common as they provide several benefits, particularly in improving indoor thermal comfort. This paper studies the influence of an indoor living wall on the air temperature and humidity in the test house in Ho Chi Minh City. Effects of the plants, irrigation and ventilation were examined. The temperature and humidity were monitored and analyzed during a 2–month period. The cooling effect of the living wall was proven, with an average reduction of 1oC of the room temperature. Higher air humidity levels were experienced near the green wall, increasing the overall humidity in the room. Irrigation for the plants also helped reduce the room temperature compared to that without irrigation. Therefore, these systems have been proven to be very useful and interesting for warm indoor environments due to the cooling effect. Keywords: Green wall, Thermal comfort, Air temperature, Humidity, Experiment.