CO2 CAPTuring from nature-based building TILEs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Climate change presents significant challenges to Mediterranean cities, particularly in the form of extreme heatwaves. As temperatures rise, urban areas face increased risks from hazards such as air pollution, urban heat islands and biodiversity loss. Heatwaves primarily affect the southern regions of the European Union (EU), including Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal, but they also impact other countries, such as France, Germany and Poland, with temperatures across such countries increasing. Recent analysis by McKinsey on the projected physical climate risks found that, by 2030, between 160 million and 200 million people living in cities could be at risk of experiencing a lethal heatwave in any given year.

Green infrastructure solutions such as green roofs and facades offer a promising approach to mitigate these impacts and create more resilient cities. Climate-smart infrastructure could play a crucial role in urban adaptations to offset some of the worst effects of climate change. By introducing vegetation into the architecture of buildings, there is potential to regulate temperatures, reduce stormwater runoff and improve air quality. Such changes could also contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and enhance the aesthetic appeal of cities. The benefits of green roofs and facades are undeniable. By addressing issues like urban heat islands and by improving air quality, these solutions contribute to a more sustainable and liveable urban environment. 

 

However, the widespread adoption of green roofs and facades is hindered by several barriers, including the high initial investment costs and complex installation and maintenance requirements.  To encourage their wider adoption, the development of strategies that reduce costs, simplify installation and raise awareness of their potential benefits is essential.  

OBJECTIVES

The project aims to develop engineered clay building tiles that allow for the planned and controlled growth of highly performing vegetation on surfaces. This solution represents a modular, affordable and easy-to-install solution for green surfaces, i.e., roofs, vertical walls and floors. The proposed green covering system can be widely adopted in various climates and contexts, including residential buildings and low-income areas. By making green roofs and facades more financially attainable, the project will promote the widespread application of climate-friendly solutions, while stimulating private sector interest and investments in sustainable building practices.

 

The specific objectives of the project are to:

 

• introduce innovative cost-effective systems to obtain both pitched and flat green roofs, green facades and green floors by developing two new types of clay tiles (CAPT-TILEs) that follow the same technological principles
• industrialise the production process through the installation of one pre-industrial pilot line for CAPT-TILEs with a production capacity of 1 500 tiles per hour
• deliver a pilot production scheme of at least 35 000 CAPT-TILEs to be used for certification tests of the product and systems, and to build mock-ups and demo-buildings validating the tiles market acceptability
• optimise and assess the performance of the CAPT-TILE solutions in both laboratory trials and in operational environments by testing 2 small-sized examples in 2 different climate zones characterising northern and southern Europe, i.e., Poland and Italy. These results will be integrated with those achieved during laboratory trials under controlled conditions and used to nurture relationships between the carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation rates of the CAPT-TILEs and various reflectance indices indicating the growth status and the photosynthetic performance of the vegetation
• monitor and demonstrate the performance and replicability potential of the CAPT-TILE solutions over a 1-year trial period  demonstration in a real-setting scenario through the installation of one CAPT-TILE pitched roof in Italy and one CAPT-TILE façade and flat roof in Poland. The goal of the demonstration will be to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed solution in a real setting scenario and to monitor the vegetation growth and estimate the CO2 removal capacity of the CAPT-TILE systems by remote sensing
• gain insights on market trends and pave the way for the market entry and integration of CAPT-TILEs by networking with commercial stakeholders and trying out the commercialisation of a small batch of CAPT-TILEs for market acceptability tests.

RESULTS

The project’s expected results are:

Total surface covered by CAPT-TILES: by the end of the project a total of 440 square metres (m2) of green tiles will be installed, divided into 60m2 for mock-ups and 380m2 for demonstration buildings

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: potential sequestration of 36 kilograms (kg) per year for every m2 of tile, totaling about 15 tonnes a year of captured CO2 by the end of the project
• Air quality improvement: the vegetation growing on the tiles will capture Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for a total of about 36 mole units (mol) per year
• Water retention capacity: the artificial soil embedded in the tile will have a rainwater retention capacity of about 2.24 litres per m2 of tile, totaling about 85 cubic metres (m3) a year by the end of the project
• Reduction of Urban Heat Island effect: the lower albedo (reflectiveness) of the CAPT-TILES will allow an average reduction of the surface temperature by 10°C in comparison to conventional roofs.