A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region
Due to ongoing climate change, urban areas face increasing challenges associated with rising temperatures and growing energy demand. Green roofs have emerged as a sustainable, nature-based solution to enhance urban resilience. This study presents a systematic review of the thermal and energy perform...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2517 |
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| author | Edoardo De Cristo Luca Evangelisti Leone Barbaro Roberto De Lieto Vollaro Francesco Asdrubali |
| author_facet | Edoardo De Cristo Luca Evangelisti Leone Barbaro Roberto De Lieto Vollaro Francesco Asdrubali |
| author_sort | Edoardo De Cristo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to ongoing climate change, urban areas face increasing challenges associated with rising temperatures and growing energy demand. Green roofs have emerged as a sustainable, nature-based solution to enhance urban resilience. This study presents a systematic review of the thermal and energy performance of green roofs in the Mediterranean region, and was conducted following the PRISMA framework. By identifying targeted research questions formulated using the PICO(C) structure, this review systematically evaluates the potential of green roofs to promote sustainable urban environments in Mediterranean regions. The findings highlight their effectiveness in mitigating heat stress, enhancing building energy efficiency, and counteracting urban temperature fluctuations, reinforcing their role as a key climate adaptation strategy in densely populated areas. The review also identifies critical research gaps that must be addressed to facilitate the large-scale adoption of green roofs. Specifically, the lack of long-term performance monitoring, the need for standardized assessment protocols, and the necessity of optimizing green roof configurations for Mediterranean subregions emerge as key areas for future investigation. This study bridges a crucial gap in the literature by providing a systematic, PRISMA-compliant evaluation. It offers the scientific community a robust knowledge base to inform policy, urban planning, and future research directions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e81d6e4ce64f47e28e83dd74c4fd797a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-e81d6e4ce64f47e28e83dd74c4fd797a2025-08-20T01:56:19ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011810251710.3390/en18102517A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean RegionEdoardo De Cristo0Luca Evangelisti1Leone Barbaro2Roberto De Lieto Vollaro3Francesco Asdrubali4Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma TRE University, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma TRE University, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma TRE University, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma TRE University, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Rome, ItalyDepartment of International Human and Social Sciences, Perugia Foreigners’ University, Piazza Fortebraccio 4, 06122 Perugia, ItalyDue to ongoing climate change, urban areas face increasing challenges associated with rising temperatures and growing energy demand. Green roofs have emerged as a sustainable, nature-based solution to enhance urban resilience. This study presents a systematic review of the thermal and energy performance of green roofs in the Mediterranean region, and was conducted following the PRISMA framework. By identifying targeted research questions formulated using the PICO(C) structure, this review systematically evaluates the potential of green roofs to promote sustainable urban environments in Mediterranean regions. The findings highlight their effectiveness in mitigating heat stress, enhancing building energy efficiency, and counteracting urban temperature fluctuations, reinforcing their role as a key climate adaptation strategy in densely populated areas. The review also identifies critical research gaps that must be addressed to facilitate the large-scale adoption of green roofs. Specifically, the lack of long-term performance monitoring, the need for standardized assessment protocols, and the necessity of optimizing green roof configurations for Mediterranean subregions emerge as key areas for future investigation. This study bridges a crucial gap in the literature by providing a systematic, PRISMA-compliant evaluation. It offers the scientific community a robust knowledge base to inform policy, urban planning, and future research directions.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2517green roofsMediterranean climatethermal performanceenergy performanceurban resiliencepassive cooling strategies |
| spellingShingle | Edoardo De Cristo Luca Evangelisti Leone Barbaro Roberto De Lieto Vollaro Francesco Asdrubali A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region Energies green roofs Mediterranean climate thermal performance energy performance urban resilience passive cooling strategies |
| title | A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region |
| title_full | A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region |
| title_fullStr | A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region |
| title_short | A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region |
| title_sort | systematic review of green roofs thermal and energy performance in the mediterranean region |
| topic | green roofs Mediterranean climate thermal performance energy performance urban resilience passive cooling strategies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2517 |
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