A comparative study on conventional and green roofing based on the exergy analysis using E-Quest and OpenFOAM

The energy assessment of a system must be made keeping in mind the qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of it. Exergy analysis is the method used to locate and quantify the real losses in the concerned thermodynamic system. E-Quest and OpenFOAM are powerful open-source tools available for conducting real-time simulations and with altered architecture; they can be used to assess a system based on its exergy. A building system is studied for total consumption of energy and comparison is made between conventional and green roofs. The result shows a significant decrease in energy consumption and a more regulated temperature profile in the building with a green roof. The installation and maintenance costs are countered with the monetary benefits of using green roofing and break-even point is expected to be achieved in the 5 ^th month after the installation of the system. This provides an insight into using green roofs and the economic viability of the same.