ENVE Urban Systems Practice Exam 2026 - Free Urban Systems Practice Questions and Study Guide

Green roofs and green walls primarily improve the building envelope by adding insulation and enabling evaporative cooling. The vegetation and growing medium slow heat transfer, so the building gains less heat in the summer and loses less in the winter. That directly lowers heating and cooling energy demands, which is why reducing building energy use is the best benefit.

They also help with stormwater management by intercepting rain and promoting evapotranspiration, and they can support more biodiversity and modest noise dampening, but these are secondary effects. They do not increase stormwater runoff; they are generally associated with reducing it. They also tend to support more biodiversity rather than decrease it, and while they can slightly soften noise, they do not cause a rise in traffic noise.