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Thermal Regulation: Green Walls Can Insulate!

Okay, to be honest, this is mainly true in the summer when greened areas on the house prevent sun exposure to the building, reducing heat in the home. Thermal insulation in the winter and reduction in heating costs is really only likely in buildings thickly covered on all sides with ivy.

Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) as summer heat protection on a house
Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) as summer heat protection on a house

Keeping your Home Cool in Summer

t3://page?uid=2601We usually think of thermal insulation as our friend during cold winters, providing insulating layers to keep our house warm and reduce heating costs. But insulation is also needed in the summer when walls and interiors heat up excessively in strong sunlight. Plant life on the facade acts as a natural insulator, absorbing the sun's rays before they reach the facade. This is especially true in non-insulated homes where the greening can replace air conditioning and save expenses. Facade cooling with plants saves electricity costs and contributes actively to climate protection!

The following climbing plants are suitable: the ornamental vines “Boston Ivy”, “Dark Green”, “Engelmannii”, “Inserta”, the virginia creeper, the crimson glory vine, wild grapevine, grape vine, climbing hydrangea and wisteria.

Boston ivy “Veitchii” on a façadeBoston Ivy "Dark Green"  (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) on a residential building, Überlingen / Baden-WürttembergEngelmann Ivy (Parthenocissus quinqefolia) at the town hall of Quedlinburg / Saxony-AnhaltTwo thicket creepers (Parthenocissus inserta) on a residential buildingVirginia creepers (Parthenocissus quinqefolia) on a block of flats from the 1980s, Leipzig / SaxonyCrimson Glory Vine  (vitis coignetiae) as façade greeningA dense mat of wild vines (Vitis) at a house in Greifswald / Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaGrape vine on a residential building in Bautzen / SaxonyClimbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolares) with yellow autumn colouring. Once the leaves have fallen, the summer insulation effect is also over.Blooming wisteria at the town hall of Riesa / Saxony

Summer and winter thermal insulation

Summer and winter cost savings are only possible with walls on which ivy or Irish ivy grows and develops its ageing form “Arborescens”, which creates leaf cushions that protrude far forwards. However, this ‘thickening’ of the façade can lead to the ‘embrasure’ effect at the windows, where the unobstructed view to the outside is severely impaired. The savings will be a maximum of 5 - 10 % of the heating costs. In addition, there must be no wind to carry away the protective air cushion built up in the foliage…

In northern Germany, near the North Sea and Baltic coasts, houses completely covered in ivy have a long tradition! In the photos you can see that such thick layers of greenery - usually with ivy - can impair the view from the windows.

In southern Germany and Europe, star jasmine is also an option, also the evergreen honeysuckle.

Only such thick layers of ivy can really save some heating costs!A really thick layer of ivy that leads to the ‘embrasure effect’ on the windowsIn southern Germany and southern Europe, star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides) can also have a dampening effect!In very mild regions - here Constance / Baden-Württemberg - the evergreen honeysuckle (Lonicera henryii) can also act as insulation.House with thick ivy cushion in Überlingen / Baden-WürttembergHouse with thick ivy cushion in Überlingen / Baden-WürttembergIt can take 20 - 30 years for ivy to grow this high! Halle an der Saale/ Saxony-AnhaltThermal insulation thanks to ivy on a presumably uninsulated residential building, BerlinGarden party in a Berlin backyard! A very high, uninsulated wall is completely overgrown with ivy.This wing of the building is thickly covered in ivy. Redewisch Manor House in Boltenhagen / Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaAn ‘ivy house’ on the island of Rügen, Göhren / Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaAn ‘ivy house’ on the Baltic Sea in Neustadt / Schleswig-HolsteinAn ‘ivy house’ on the island of Hiddensee / Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaA very old fisherman's house on the island of Rügen in Wreechen / Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which has long been overgrown with ivy