In order to analyze thermal and energy performance of living wall system in Shanghai area, a coupled heat and moisture transfer model is developed and validated by filed experiments. The measurement results prove that living wall has a better thermal performance than corresponding common wall in summer and winter. And an energy balance analysis is conducted to elucidate the difference of heat transfer mechanism between living wall and common wall. Based on the model, the impact of orientation on thermal performance of living wall is simulated and analyzed in summer and winter. Furthermore, additional equivalent thermal resistance is calculated to evaluate the average thermal performance of living wall according to the long-term simulation results of both walls. It's found that the additional equivalent thermal resistance of living wall in summer is obviously higher than that in winter. Finally, a sensitivity test is carried out to distinguish the significant factors that affect long-term thermal performance of living wall, including plant parameters, substrate parameters, structure layer parameters, indoor condition, weather parameters and irrigation frequency. The model in the paper helps to optimize the design of living wall to get a better thermal benefit and judge whether living wall satisfies the local rule of energy conservation. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.