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Description
The primary objective is to develop a self-sustainable, intelligent module system for city green infrastructure; the Mod4GrIn. This module consists of solutions for green roof, green wall and ground level vegetation designed for buildings, covered with stress-resistant native plant species, and equipped with water circulation system and monitoring devices based on the IoT approach run by solar power. The Mod4GrIn is designed for (i) mitigation of climate changes (ii) restoration of ecosystem functions destroyed during urbanization process by moderation of urban heat island (UHI) effect (moderation of local temperature and humidity), improvement of water retention while preventing excessive surface runoff (iii), improving air condition, and (iv) support of the urban biodiversity and natural capital. Objectives of the project will be achieved through detailed work plan, divided into 5 work packages (i) species selection and testing their optimal growing conditions (ii) plant-plant-soil interactions and plant resistance to abiotic stresses in urban habitats (iii) preparation and testing artificial substrate (iv) self-sustainable intelligent module for city green infrastructure (v) MOD4GRIN validation in urban conditions. The consortium beside CommLED Solutions Sp. z o.o. which is SME consist of two research institutes from Poland (IETU) and Norway (NIBIO), experienced in the scope of the planned project activities and coordination of other international projects.
The possible added value will be: (i) exchenge the knowledge in the field of restoration of ecosystem functions destroyed during urbanization process by moderation of urban heat island (ii) strengthening the cooperation capacity between Polish and Norway research institutions.
Summary of project results
Green city infrastructure is receiving more attention in spatial urban planning as it provides a variety of ecosystem services, but it requires high
operational costs. The self-sustainable module for green city infrastructure (Mod4GrIn) is a solution that fits into the modern approach of smart
city, nature-based solutions and biodiversity conservation. The proposed approach can become an effective tool to mitigate climate change,
especially by reducing the urban heat island effect and increasing water storage capacity while providing various ecosystem services. All with a
monitoring and management platform.
For this purpose, a management system and hardware components were developed, while the selected plants and substrates were studied and implemented on sea containers at two demo sites in Poland and Norway. Mod4GrIn project delivered: system that controls the hardware components and collects environmental data that can be integrated into smart city components; a remote controlled irrigation system based on a rainwater reservoir and a sensor network; off-grid power supply based on photovoltaic modules and a battery bank; native plants from natural habitats that can withstand the harsh urban environment; lightweight substrate preparation.
All the above were successfully implemented and provided insights into monitoring and maintenance, in particular the survival rate of selected
plant species, substrate behavior on different module components (green wall and roof) and thermal behavior inside and outside the constructed
demonstration plants.
The project enables the beneficiaries to exchange knowledge between industry and academia, strengthens bilateral cooperation, enhances the SME R&D potential (CommLED) and strengthens the IETU''s expertise in the green urban infrastructure. Although the product could be commercialized, for a large-scale implementation some measures should be taken to improve robustness and scalability. These relate to a wider range of species and substrates being tested or technical scenarios being investigated and implemented. This could be achieved by expanding the expertise of the consortium by including other institutions as part of new funding opportunities. The Mod4GrIn module could be further developed by implementing new sites. In the long term, this will not only enable the mitigation of climate change, but also a better understanding of maintenance needs of green urban infrastructure.
Summary of bilateral results
In addition to knowledge sharing and collaboration during the implementation, other activities not foreseen in the project were carried out. Thereis clear evidence that the soil microbiota is important for the performance of green roofs by filtering or buffering the species composition overtime. However, not much is known about how this relates to soil design and soil properties on the roof, although studies have shown that soiltexture, pH and organic matter are important. The influence of soil microbiota on vegetation dynamics and performance in green roof substratesdepends on the dynamics of plant nutrients available for direct root uptake, including competition with the microbiota. A one-month researchinternship enabled two researchers from IETU to participate in the long-term research at NIBIO, which started in July 2022 and is conducted inrooftop mesocosms. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of soil microflora on the growth dynamics and condition of plants that canbe used for the construction of green roofs. These studies were not planned and are the result of observations made during the first year of theproject. The succession of plants and the influence of soil microflora in mesocosms on roofs will continue in 2024-2025, the research coordinatoris Dr Hans Martin Hanslin. In addition, a publication on the influence of mycorrhizal root colonisation on plants from nature (Inoculation witharbuscular mycorrhizal fungi supports the uptake of macronutrients and promotes the growth of Festuca ovina and Trifolium medium, acandidate species for green urban infrastructure) was produced during the monthly internship. It is planned to continue the collaboration withthe partners of the project in a new project with Norwegian funding or similar, which will provide the opportunity to further advance the researchand development of green roofs and walls as self-supporting smart modules for green urban infrastructure.