Prospects of green roof technology for energy and thermal benefits in buildings: Case of Jordan

Abstract Heat transfer has a substantial impact on thermal comfort for indoor architectural spaces, which is mainly dependent on building envelopes. Improving the quality of indoor spaces means applying a climate-conscious design that is very beneficial in decreasing energy consumption in buildings. In this paper, a study based on thermal calculations and computer simulation is conducted to demonstrate the thermal benefits on energy saving as an approach to increase energy efficiency through green roof technology. The study focuses on roof surfaces as they account for a large portion of the insulation impact on built environments. A comparison between regular roof and green roof technologies was conducted to explore the effect of green roof materials on thermal transmittance and eventually on energy consumption of HVAC systems in buildings.