Ecological transition calls for new approaches to the ancient dualism of Nature and Technology, where the antithesis is solved in a positive integration to achieve greener and smarter cities. In an age of rapid urbanization and digitization, urban ecosystems and building management must aim at the well-being of citizens and the search for alternative clean energy sources. This research aims to design and test an innovative building component that increases natural surfaces in dense urban areas and provides electrical energy as a new measurable performance for green envelopes. The state of the art shows that Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can mitigate the Heat Island effect in urban areas, bringing many benefits such as energy savings, acoustic insulation, air oxygenation, biodiversity, and water management amelioration. Green envelopes are highly valued aesthetically, though they remain underused. In particular, selected plant species such as Bryophytes or perennial Gramineae possess features particularly suitable for building-integrated greenery systems because of their reduced weight, low cost, and minimal maintenance. Moreover, when combined with an electrochemical apparatus forming a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), these plants are able to generate a small amount of electricity that can be used to power environmental sensors, LED and monitoring devices. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, experimental tests have been conducted at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction, Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with the Biochemistry Department of Cambridge University (UK) in order to maximize the electrical energy harvest from Bryophytes and Gramineae, by employing environmental friendly materials and combining the biological sources with a physical ones. The research collaboration has resulted in the development of a vegetated building component that generates a small amount of electricity for low-energy IoT applications using a green photo-bioelectrochemical system. This innovative and multifunctional component can be used on envelopes as building-integrated greenery systems, exhibiting an adaptive, "bio-based", "green" behaviour, aligned with global sustainability goals and smart city development.
La transizione ecologica impone l'adozione di nuovi paradigmi per superare il tradizionale dualismo tra natura e tecnologia, promuovendo un'integrazione positiva essenziale per lo sviluppo di città verdi e intelligenti. In risposta alla rapida urbanizzazione e digitalizzazione, la gestione degli edifici e gli ecosistemi urbani devono convergere verso il benessere dei cittadini e la ricerca di fonti energetiche pulite. La presente ricerca mira a progettare e testare un componente edilizio innovativo che non solo accresca le superfici naturali nelle aree urbane ad alta densità, ma fornisca anche energia elettrica come nuova prestazione misurabile degli involucri verdi. Sebbene le Soluzioni Basate sulla Natura (NBS) siano efficaci nella mitigazione dell'effetto isola di calore urbano e offrano benefici quali risparmio energetico, isolamento acustico e incremento della biodiversità, gli involucri verdi rimangono sottoutilizzati. È dimostrato che particolari specie vegetali, come briofite e graminacee perenni, sono adatte a questi sistemi grazie a peso e costi ridotti. Tali piante, se integrate con un apparato elettrochimico (Cella a Combustibile Microbica Vegetale o PMFC), sono in grado di generare una piccola quantità di corrente elettrica utile all'alimentazione di sensori IoT, LED e dispositivi di monitoraggio ambientale. Adottando un approccio interdisciplinare, sono stati condotti test sperimentali presso il Politecnico di Milano (dip. di Architettura, Ingegneria delle costruzioni e Ambiente costruito ABC) in collaborazione con l'Università di Cambridge (dip. di Biochimica). L'obiettivo era massimizzare la produzione elettrica di queste specie vegetali attraverso l'uso di materiali ecocompatibili e la combinazione di fonti biologiche e fisiche. Questa collaborazione ha avuto come esito lo sviluppo di un componente edilizio vegetato multifunzionale basato su un sistema foto-bioelettrochimico in grado di alimentare applicazioni IoT a basso consumo energetico. Il prototipo a scala reale, integrabile sull’involucro edilizio, si propone come un sistema adattivo, bio-based e sostenibile, in linea con gli obiettivi globali di sostenibilità e delle smart city.
Nature-based solutions and green energy. Design and test of a biological photovoltaic cell for a building-integrated greenery system component
Marsaglia, Valeria
2025/2026
Abstract
Ecological transition calls for new approaches to the ancient dualism of Nature and Technology, where the antithesis is solved in a positive integration to achieve greener and smarter cities. In an age of rapid urbanization and digitization, urban ecosystems and building management must aim at the well-being of citizens and the search for alternative clean energy sources. This research aims to design and test an innovative building component that increases natural surfaces in dense urban areas and provides electrical energy as a new measurable performance for green envelopes. The state of the art shows that Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can mitigate the Heat Island effect in urban areas, bringing many benefits such as energy savings, acoustic insulation, air oxygenation, biodiversity, and water management amelioration. Green envelopes are highly valued aesthetically, though they remain underused. In particular, selected plant species such as Bryophytes or perennial Gramineae possess features particularly suitable for building-integrated greenery systems because of their reduced weight, low cost, and minimal maintenance. Moreover, when combined with an electrochemical apparatus forming a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), these plants are able to generate a small amount of electricity that can be used to power environmental sensors, LED and monitoring devices. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, experimental tests have been conducted at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction, Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with the Biochemistry Department of Cambridge University (UK) in order to maximize the electrical energy harvest from Bryophytes and Gramineae, by employing environmental friendly materials and combining the biological sources with a physical ones. The research collaboration has resulted in the development of a vegetated building component that generates a small amount of electricity for low-energy IoT applications using a green photo-bioelectrochemical system. This innovative and multifunctional component can be used on envelopes as building-integrated greenery systems, exhibiting an adaptive, "bio-based", "green" behaviour, aligned with global sustainability goals and smart city development.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/248017