Green City Solutions GmbH & Co. KG

Green City Solutions makes clean and cool air profitable

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Worldwide every 8th death is caused by air pollution. Environmental impacts are even worsened by climate change. Therefore Green City Solution was founded to provide a climate infrastructure. The "CityTree" is based on a vertical plant wall that filters the air, cools the surrounding and reduces noise. 1682 plants in single pots are filtering the air, each one is growing in moss which serves as a substrate (no soil required). Due to recent studies mosses are excellent for filtering fine dust because of their great enlarged surface with more than 1.000.000 leaflets and their rootless metabolism. The combination of them as optimal substrate and the plants for reducing wind speed and shading the moss accelerate the filter capacity of both species. Thus a symbioses is formed in each pot. Placed due to a numerical analyses of the air and particle flow in hotspot areas, this natural filter can reduce the air pollution up to 30%. The capacity is possible by considering natural flows such as wind and artificial flows caused by road traffic. In a street canyon this makes it more efficient than common plants (e.g. Trees). As the plants cool down the ambient air through evaporation on their leaf surface a climate change adaptation service is provided. This is enhanced by the fact that air pollution has a direct correlation to extreme weather events. To lift the natural capacities a sophisticated structure with automated irrigation, water and energy supply was created. The integrated photovoltaic-system energizes the whole control engineering, measurement and data transmission technology. The combination of photovoltaic- and water-capturing-system enables the fully free-standing structure be optimal positioned.