Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Green roofs are becoming a standard requirement on buildings around the world as an important measure to counteract global warming. The inclusion of plant life in urban areas captures carbon, promotes biodiversity, reduces the urban heat island effect and absorbs storm water. Rooftop plants and soil also improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Rooftops are a relatively harsh environment for plants due to increased winds and reduced soil volume especially in container gardens. Therefore, continuous soil moisture monitoring is important to maintain the viability of the plant life. This study describes the development of a modular and expandable network architecture for soil moisture sensors, with a cloud-based interface for remote monitoring.