CLARK

INTRO

Good day to our dear panelists, and our audience who are with us today. We are 4th year students of
Civil Engineering from CIV201. My name is Clark James C. Delos Reyes. And my fellow researchers are
Mr. Jerome Gadi, Mr. Gian Angelo Jacinto, and Ms. Jermaine Natividad. Our research adviser in this
study is Mr. Nathaniel Peralta.

As soon-to-be civil engineers who wish to apply our learnings and propose, we are both honored and
excited to discuss and explore this possibility with you. We appreciate this opportunity to present our
ideas to contribute meaningfully to our field, and exchange ideas with you.

TITLE

Today, we will be presenting the title of our capstone project which is "Assessing the Effectiveness of
Vertical Gardens as Evaporative Cooling System in Philippine Public-School Classrooms”
JEROME

Imagine a scenario wherein the previously stable climate has devolved into disarray. Frequent
heatwaves, storms, and unpredictable weather patterns, all because of the overlooked progression of
climate change. Sadly, this is not a hypothetical situation; rather, it is our current reality.

According to the United Nations (UN), we are already facing significant challenges, as
environmental crises such as climate change, soil degradation, air pollution, and water scarcity persist in
posing threats to the planet.

Undeniably, one of the main factors is modernity. And with modernity comes the rapid growth
of cities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) states that this has resulted in the near
absence of vegetation in urban spaces, making them even hotter.

For example, here in Metro Manila, PAGASA recorded 35.9 degrees Celsius last year. This led to
a search for solutions that can at least lessen the perceived temperature indoors.

With attempts to improve thermal conditions, vertical greenery was proven to also reduce
energy consumption by improving ventilation and cooling through evapotranspiration and solar shading.

JEROME

Urban vegetation was also found to help reduce stress, increase productivity, and overall well-
being of people. These are vital aspects especially to the education sector, since thermal conditions
were found to affect the cognitive performance of students. Unfortunately, students from public schools
suffer from extreme heat. Air conditioning was initially proposed but was later declined due to a lack of
budget.

According to the Office of the Vice President in 2023, there are currently 44, 391 public schools
in the Philippines. The numbers underscore the urgency to explore this possibility, as many students and
teachers will benefit from it.

Now, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of vertical gardens as evaporative coolers in
Philippine public schools.
GIAN

Here we directly state the problem, which is the fact that Philippine public school classrooms are not
equipped during high thermal conditions according to DepED

In fact, in April 2023, up to 403 schools in Central Luzon implemented modular distance learning
because of extreme heat experienced by the students (Inquirer, 2023).

Furthermore, In Ormoc Leyte, the heat index reached a scorching 42 degrees Celsius. In Laguna, 83
students were hospitalized because of heat exhaustion on a school day. (Inquirer, 2023).

GIAN

The core objective of our study is simple yet profound: to evaluate the effectiveness of vertical gardens
as evaporative coolers in Philippine public school classrooms as a potential solution to the problems
presented. At the end of the study, we can answer key questions and arrive at the optimal vertical
garden module specifications, the impact of vertical gardens on indoor thermal conditions in terms of
temperature and relative humidity, and the effectiveness value of an evaporative cooler.

By addressing these issues, our project seeks not only to enhance the learning environment but also to
contribute to a sustainable solution to combat extreme heat in public school classrooms.
JERMAINE

This study is significant because the insights that we will acquire will benefit:

 teachers, students, and staff since this will improve the indoor thermal conditions which will
assist their respiratory, mental and overall health.
 Administration and Stakeholders since the facilities' serviceability and safety would be
maintained without significant financial burdens.
 Government Agencies (DepEd and DPWH) since it can utilize the study's findings to inform
policies and guidelines related to school infrastructure and environmental initiatives.
 This study will also benefit Environmental Advocates as a potential basis for

environmental advocates to advance and put into practice eco-friendly and green building practices.

 Future Researchers, since they can develop and improve the findings of this study to deliver
more practical, up-to-date, and efficient systems for improving indoor thermal

conditions in the future.

JERMAINE

To draw the scope and limitations of this study, the methods here focus on identifying the effectiveness
of vertical gardens as evaporative cooling system if applied in public school classrooms in the Philippine
climate setup towards improving indoor thermal conditions. This will be done through 3D modelling and
virtual simulation. Calculating other parameters such as carbon dioxide levels and particulate matter, as
well as the physical construction of the vertical gardens falls outside the scope of this research

GIAN

Our capstone is grounded in fundamental literature that contributes to the assessment of vertical
gardens as evaporative coolers in Philippine public-school classrooms. Here are the related literatures,
we will only describe a few of them, as we will discuss their key points and relevance to our capstone
research.

1. Engineering Principles, Modeling, and Economics of Evaporative Coolers (Hefft, et. al., 2023)

- Content: Explores fundamental principles and calculations of evaporative coolers, emphasizing

evapotranspiration processes and the Penman equation.
 - Relevance: Guides the establishment of a theoretical foundation, aiding in the design and
understanding of evaporative cooling processes in our study.

2. Safe and Healthy School Environments (Frumkin, et. al., 2006)

- Content: Focuses on factors affecting safety, comfort, and health in school environments, highlighting
the impact of temperature, humidity, and air movement.

- Relevance: Informs our study parameters, providing insights into the indoor environmental
conditions that influence student well-being and learning.

3. Thermal Comfort in Philippine Office Buildings (Coolth preference)

- Content: Explores non-thermal factors influencing comfort and discusses Filipinos' cooling
preferences in the context of sustainability.

- Relevance: Prompts a reconsideration of cooling practices, aligning our study with environmental
responsibility and providing insights into sustainable cooling solutions for public school classrooms.

GIAN

Our capstone draws crucial insights from pivotal studies, guiding the effective integration of vertical
gardens into Philippine public school classrooms.

1. Simulating and Comparing Different Vertical Greenery Systems (Arenghi et al., 2021)

- Content: Examines the significance of vertical greenery systems (VGS) in urban sustainability,
addressing challenges in simulation methods using EnergyPlus.

- Relevance: Guides our study by leveraging EnergyPlus software for simulating and evaluating the
energy efficiency of various VGS types, aligning with the objectives of our capstone.
2. More than just a Green Façade (Davis et al., 2016)

- Content: Explores vertical gardens as active evaporative cooling units, emphasizing their potential in
mitigating urban heat islands and improving overall well-being.

- Relevance: Provides invaluable insights into the practical application of vertical gardens, aiding in the
design and optimization of our simulated vertical garden systems for Philippine public school
classrooms.

GIAN

3. Vertical Gardens as Swamp Coolers (Davis and Ramirez, 2015)

- Content: Investigates the utilization of vertical gardens as cost-effective alternatives to air

conditioning systems, focusing on cooling effectiveness without glass fronting.

- Relevance: Informs our study on isolating variables and improving accuracy in quantifying cooling
effectiveness, contributing to the development of efficient cooling solutions for public school
classrooms.

4. Effects of Air Temperature on Cognitive Performance (Bigueja et al., 2022)

- Content: Examines the impact of air temperature on cognitive performance, highlighting the need for
lower temperatures and increased ventilation for optimal health outcomes and conducive learning
conditions.

- Relevance: Validates the importance of addressing temperature conditions in classrooms, aligning

with our goal to enhance the learning environment through the integration of vertical gardens.
JEROME

Our conceptual framework focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of vertical gardens as evaporative
cooling systems in Philippine public school classrooms.

Key independent variables, such as plant substrate, vegetation type, and vertical garden configuration,
can be modified to influence system effectiveness.

Moderating variables, including climate conditions and classroom layout, are not directly manipulated
but can impact the relationship between independent variables and the dependent variables—

The dependent variables in this study are temperature and relative humidity.

These values will then be the basis for assessing the effectiveness of the vertical gardens. The study
aims to assess the cumulative impact of these factors on the overall cooling performance of vertical
gardens.
JERMAINE

Moving forward, this study involves the hypothesis that:

A vertical garden system will be an effective evaporative cooler to address extreme heat and significantly
improve the indoor thermal conditions in terms of temperature and relative humidity inside the
classroom, resulting to thermal comfort.

Along the way, this hypothesis will be tested whether it holds

true or not. If it is an effective evaporative cooler, it can lead to further future research on feasibility
which can lead to a more conducive learning environment for students and teachers.
CLARK

The methods and technique of the study start with the vertical garden design and configuration, next is
the modelling of scenarios and input of building conditions, after that is the actual simulation and
acquisition of data. Then, the analysis of variable relationships. Last is the calculation of the cooling
system efficiency which will assess the effectiveness of the vertical gardens

CLARK

Now, the instruments that we will be using for our study are the following

First one is SketchUp, this is our 3D modeling tool, where we input the details and design the
architectural elements of the building as well as the vertical garden.

Second is OpenStudio, which is the bridge to EnergyPlus, it facilitates energy modeling and simulation.

Third is the EnergyPlus Software, which is the simulation engine working behind Open Studio, enabling it
to model building energy performance, and data with parameters such as temperature and humidity
Fourth is Microsoft Excel, which is our tool for analysis. It will enable us to plot and analyze airflow data,
thermal conditions, and conduct calculations from the simulation.

CLARK

Now, we will be showing a short demonstration as to how the software tools will be used and how the
data will be collected.

Step 1: Modeling the Building according to the standard plan of DPWH and Vertical Garden in
SketchUp:

Shown here is the vertical garden module from a similar work of Davis’s team in 2015. These dimensions
will be modified according to the calculation to become applicable for the dimensions of one public
school classroom which is 9 m x 7 m x 3.2 m.

There are two scenarios, one which is the current state of the building, and the other one with the
intervention.

The file types here are:

 SketchUp Model (.skp)

The functions we will use include:

 Create Building Geometry:

  Export to OpenStudio using the OpenStudio plugin, making it into an OpenStudio
Model (.osm)

 In the Open Studio, we will Assign Spaces and thermal Zones:

This includes five points

• Point I: Indoor, at the center

• Point II: At 1 meter from the wall

• Point III: At the vertical garden air intake

• Point IV: At the vertical garden exhaust

• Point V: 3 m away from the garden (outside- Ambient temperature)

Step 2: Define Building Characteristics and Materials:

We will input the Specific Functions:

 Specify Building Materials and surfaces

 Set HVAC Systems:

 Input Lighting, Occupancy, and Schedules:

Step 3: Set Philippine Climate Data from the database of EnergyPlus

1. File Types:

 Climate Data (.epw)

Step 4: Integrate Vertical Garden Modules:

 Specify Vertical Garden Properties such as Plants, Substrate, and Materials.

 Connect to Building Structure such that it is integrated and properly within OpenStudio.

Step 5: Input Simulation Parameters:

 Define Simulation Settings:

 Set Points for Measurement to Identify points within the classrooms using OpenStudio
for measuring temperature, relative humidity, and airflow.
Step 6: Run the Simulation using open studio

Step 7: Gather and export the results which are usually in spreadsheet format or HTML Format

CLARK

Upon gathering the data from the simulation, we will perform the following calculations to gain more
insights about the results. First is volume of mass flow rate, which will give insight about the behavior of
airflow. Next is the use of descriptive statistics such as variance, standard deviation, and mean in order
to acquire representative data such as temperature readings from the simulation, which will then be
used to. The wet bulb temperature will also be calculated as a value required for the previous formula.
These calculations will provide us quantifiable data that will enable us to assess the effectiveness of the
vertical gardens as evaporative coolers for Philippine public classrooms

With all these information presented, we would like to end our presentation and we will be delighted to
explore any question or clarification that the panelists may have in mind. Thank you.