Previous studies have shown that vertical greening has a significant cooling and energy-saving effect, most of which are applied to opaque walls. However, windows are the critical factor contributing to the indoor thermal environment. This study developed a modular vertical greening shading device (MVGSD), and introduces its detailed structure: water supply mode, plant selection, and substrate preparation. To investigate the thermal performance of MVGSD, a structural model test was carried out. The results show that MVGSD has a noticeable effect on indoor temperature. Specifically, the greatest indoor temperature can be reduced by 4 °C and effectively low the concentration of CO2 (The CO2 absorption rate is 53.1%). In addition, the characteristics of the louver shading and MVGSD were compared, and it was found that the indoor temperature by using MVGSD is 2.6 °C lower than the louver. It is also worth mentioning that indoor humidity is improved by MVGSD, which has a beneficial effect on the thermal comfort of human beings.
Keywords: CO2 reduction; cooling effect; modular vertical greening; plant shading.