Green roofs, also called eco-roofs, use the foliage of plants to
protect the building environment. The thermal loads due to the
solar radiation and the air temperature are limited before entering
the buildings by the vegetation layer. This depends on the absorption
of the solar radiation by the plants to support their life-cycle,
including: photosynthesis, evapo-transpiration, respiration. Moreover,
the soil layer gives an added insulation to the building roof
and the water content increases the thermal inertia of the structure.
The vegetation characteristics affect, in addiction, the convective
and radiative heat transfer through the roof surface.