Oikostegi - Green Roof in Greece

Greece is known for its ancient culture and well-preserved historic architecture. Did you know they also have green roofs (Oikostegi in Greek)?

The most recent green roof in Greece is on the Treasury building in Athens. Used as a scientific test bed, much like the green roofs in Chicago, this green roof was shown to reduce cooling cost for the 10 story structure by 8% and heating costs by 4%. While these may not seem very significant numbers, they are only part of the equation.

Green roofs not only reduce heating and cooling costs, but also reduce storm water runoff, as well as reducing fine particulate air pollution. Additionally, photovoltaic cells perform more efficiently on green roofs, due to cooler roof temperatures.

Greece can benefit from more green roofs due to its hot summer climate, as well urban air pollution. In a land of ancient beauty, green roofs fit right in!

Ireland's Green Roofs Videos

Ireland is one of the world's greenest countries, at least in terms of flora and fauna. However, Ireland is also the home of ancient and modern green roofs.

Long before China, Chicago, or New York put green roofs on buildings, the Irish had done it in Newgrange. Newgrange, is home of a megalithic burial site, a mound that covers about an acre, covered with a green roof. The site was thought to be built around 32oo BC, and is typical of other mound sites throughout the world, all of which have green roofs. Free Shipping on any purchase over $25

What has Newgrange to do with modern green roofs in Ireland? Everything! Historically, Ireland's agrarian culture and temperate climate has created in its populace a love of the land and local environment. It should come as no surprise then, that "...Miles Sampson, a County Clare-based architect specializing in sustainable homes," has created a very green home in Ireland, with a series of green roofs. Click here for the lowest available Air France fares.

According to Matt Hickman at Mother Nature Network,

"The building of one of his low-energy homes, a “Geomorphological House,” in the rural west of Ireland has been captured on film and even if you aren’t intrigued by the home’s various green features (grass sod roof, vacuum tube solar panels, recycled newspaper insulation, heat recovery ventilation system, etc.)."

To highlight his design, videos were made describing their features and construction. They are quite enjoyable! Please enjoy the videos of this great house with green roofs in Ireland!

Tax Credits for Green Roofs

Green roofs are nothing new to Boston. Now, with proposed tax credits, green roofs could be more affordable.

The Boston Herald reports that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino "...filed legislation in January to establish a green building tax credit for measures that increase energy efficiency, improve air quality and reduce environmental impacts." $10 Off All Online Flower Orders. Over 75,000 florists world-wide offering same-day flower delivery at a discount.

The Mayor's actions are partly in response to a study by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, "...found the number of projects its members worked on grew by more than 35 percent last year, thanks in part to tax credits offered by cities including New York and Chicago."

The tax credit would recognize the higher cost of construction for green roofs, but would also reward the communal benefits of reducing air pollution and storm water runoff. Additionally, the intangible value of beautification can't be ignored. Water Barrels and Storage

While the tax credit method of encouraging green roofs differs dramatically from Toronto's, Tokyo's, and Switzerland's laws mandating green roofs, I personally prefer the tax credit. A tax credit is an incentive and promotes positive behavior, as well as encouraging others to follow suit.

Hat tip to dinoperna at Twitter!

Colombia Joins the Green Roof Movement

When many people think of green roofs, they generally think of cities such as Chicago, Washington, DC and Shanghai. While these cities definitely need the benefits of green roofs, non-polluted environments can benefit also. Take Colombia, with its varied geography and mild climate, is a great location for green roofs.

A recent project, designed by G Ateliers, in Guatapé, Antioquia, Colombia sports green roofs on structures that blend into the surrounding environment. FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50.00 at InhabitLiving.com

The structures, known as "Ecological Shelters," are about 2 hours from Medellin and were built for potential use in eco-tourism. The idyllic country-side, with rolling hills, and a large lake nearby creates a perfect setting for "getting away from it all."

What is also nice about these "shelters," is that the green roofs were designed to be used daily, and not just for their benefits, such as reduced HVAC costs, storm water runoff management, and air pollution reduction. Discover Top Rated Mighty Leaf Herbal Tea. Tea lovers love our delicious herbal tea blends. You will too. Save 25% on your first order!

Inhabitat.com notes that the complex also has hiking trails, dining, as well as a chapel. One wonders how long such a beautiful site can remain a secret?

Green Roofs Provide Benefits in Winter

Can green roofs provide benefits in climates with strong winters? According to Karen Liu of the National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Research in Construction, the answer is "Yes!"

In an article posted in EnviroZine, green roofs provided a 10% improvement in the heat loss of tested buildings in the winter. The results of the first round of testing were so significant the NRC-IRC began performing a multi-year study on green roofs to verify the results.

Once the benefits were confirmed, the article indicates that NRC-IRC designed green roofs specifically for winter climates. From the article:

"... green roofs are often planted with drought resistant plants ...which grow in a six-centimetre thick layer of a light weight growing medium (such as volcanic rock), the winter green roofs were composed of juniper shrubs... The purpose was to reduce the effect of wind speed (which draws heat from the building) and to increase the building's resistance to heat loss. Junipers were particularly well-suited for the experiment because they are evergreens and spread easily."

The research on both traditional home structures and homes built specifically for cold climates found that the juniper-based, winter green roofs increased heating efficiency by 10 and 8.5% respectively. Additionally, the winter green roofs helped to reduce the fluctuation in roof temperature, thus improving the life of the roof itself.

It would be very interesting to see if cities such as Chicago could benefit from the addition of junipers to their large number of green roofs.

A Green Roof in Cape Town

While green roofs have really taken off in Chicago, China, Germany, and San Francisco, they haven't seen as much growth in Africa, until now.

SouthAfrica.info reports:

The Cape Town International Convention Centre and the South African government are at an advanced stage of negotiations on a partnership to expand the hugely successful conference and expo venue, and in the process to create "the greenest building in South Africa".

Although South African continues to struggle with crime and economic issues, they are have taken a big step in improving the "greeness" of their buildings, but public and private.

In this particular project, "... would be built to requirements set by the Green Building Council of South Africa. It would be designed to use 40% less energy per square metre than the present CTICC, consume 95% less potable water, and produce 25% less waste to landfill."

What would any post on blog be without a green roof comment? The CTICC will have a green roof! The South African climate in general, and Cape Town in specific, is an excellent environment for a green roof. The cooling effect and storm water management capabilities add tremendous value to this building.

Not only does this project bring positive environmental value to buildings and area, it also brings jobs and revenue. "...the project would result in direct spending in Cape Town of R2.27-billion over an anticipated three years of construction," and "...513 "direct jobs" and 720 "indirect jobs" would be created in 2012, increasing to 1 276 direct jobs and 1 892 indirect jobs by 2018."

As more green roof projects become reported in Africa, I will report them here. Best wishes to Cape Town and their CTICC project!

Walmart's Green Roof

Although Walmart is a company that many in the US love to hate, they have been taking some very serious steps in area of sustainability. These steps include a green roof experiment in one of their Chicago-area stores (#5402). $20 Off AeroGardens

According to the green roof supplier, Roofscapes Inc., the 74,000 sq. ft. roof was complete in 2006. Why would I write about something that is 3 years old? Simply, I wanted to see if there was any follow-up.

I have contacted Walmart to get an answer and am eager to share it when I get it. Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food

The most important aspects of this story are the following:

1. Green roofs are commercially desirable, as demonstrated by multiple suppliers.
2. Green roofs are considered valuable to property owners.
3. Green roofs demonstrably reduce storm water runoff and roof temperature.

As an advocate of green roofs, I compliment Walmart on experimenting with them and am eager to hear their results (and hope for more on new Walmarts!).

Greening Kuwait

Lest people believe that green roofs are only used in Mexico City, Shanghai, Dongtan, or Chicago, Atkins Design of Epsom, UK has "...recently received the honour of CNBC Arabian Property Award High Rise Architecture Award" for the Al Sharq Office Complex in Kuwait. This was reported in World Architecture News.com.

From the article:

"The Al Sharq office building quietly pursues a rigorous sustainability agenda. A shallow plan office floor plate with heavily shaded facades reduces the tower's environmental footprint... The 180m tower will cover an area of 56,400sq.m and ... offers a variety of scenarios for business within a sustainable and environmentally responsible design."

As one can see from the artist's rendition, there will be what are refered to as "roof gardens" to provide shade and fresh air. While not displayed, this author hopes some form of green roof will be available, though given the climate, watering would be required.

Although storm water runoff management is not as significant an issue in Kuwait as it would be in Chennai, the reduction of fine particulate air pollution is certainly a benefit.

Jetsongreen.com provides this quotation from Nicholas Bailey of Atkins: "This is a green building - literally - because of its foliage camouflage. Vertical fins to the street elevation, formed in colored glass, are fitted with integrated solar panels that contribute to the building's energy needs."

One hopes that other countries such as the U.A.E., Qatar, and Saudi Arabia consider using green roofs and green building in their current and future construction.

Shanghai Green Roofs Grow!

Shanghai gets it! In an article in China Daily, it was reported that "The Shanghai landscaping administration bureau said more than 95,000 sq m of rooftops have been covered in grass and shrubs, very close to the annual target of 100,000 sq m. The city's annual construction of green areas will be about 200,000 sq m this year, the bureau said."

This is fantastic news. Shanghai's air pollution is the third worst in China, only behind Guanzhou and Beijing. The overall commitment to improve the cityscape with green roofs is real, although annual budgets aren't very high. From the article, "The city will spend 5 million yuan ($710,000) this year on the campaign."

Like other government sponsored green roof projects, like those of Chicago, the focus is primarily on government buildings. What is positive to note is scale and commitment of putting green roofs in Shanghai. Again, from the article, "Since the campaign began in 2003, at total 500,000 sq m of Shanghai's rooftops have been covered, more than 80 times the size of Fuxing Park, a popular recreational area in downtown Shanghai."

Let's hope that with the rapid construction in Shanghai, builders and government can work together to get green roofs on as many buildings as possible.

Green Roofs Control Storm Water Runoff

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the benefits of green roofs include reduced utility costs, reduced heat island effect, reduced air pollution, and reduced storm water runoff. In cities close to major bodies of water where storm water runoff is a major concern, green roofs can be used to help mitigate that concern.

In an article in Environmental Health Perspectives, Washington DC was sued to reduce storm water runoff in 2002. As part of the settlement, "...the DC Water and Sewer Authority provided $300,000 for green roof development....Those funds, managed by the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation, seeded a program of incentive grants that encouraged eight builders to choose green roofs over other traditional devices as their primary stormwater control device (stormwater control plans are required for any new construction or redevelopment of more than 5,000 square feet in the District)."

Clearly, the District takes this issue very seriously. Green roofs are becoming more popular in Washington, DC. Hopefully, more federal buildings will look like Chicago's City Hall.

Chicago Museum Showcases Green Roof Home

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry are holding an exhibit of a "green" home, complete with a flat green roof! The exhibit runs through January 04, 2009 and highlights not just the green roof, but photovalic film for solar electricity, and sustainable landscaping, just to name a few items.

The home is 2500 square feet, and three stories high. It was built by Michelle Kaufmann Designs of Oakland, California, and builder, All American Homes of Decatur, Indiana.

These types of exhibits will hopefully demonstrate to the viewing public the viability of flat green roofs not just for commercial structures, but also for homes.

2009 World Green Roof Congress Set for Toronto

For anybody that loves flat green roofs and is in the business of building or promoting them, the 2009 World Green Roof Congress is going to be held in Toronto.

According to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, "The Congress will bring more than 1,000 delegates to Toronto from around the world to discuss the latest research, policy and technical advances in the rapidly growing green roof industry."

Toronto was chosen, in part, to its 2006 "Making Green Roofs Happen" report that "...will advance the use of green roof technology among City buildings and in the private sector." This commitment to green roofs ranks Toronto with Chicago, Washington, and New York as cities that are committed to green roofs and cleaner air.

More details can be found in a press release found here.

Mexico City Plants Green Roofs to Fight Pollution

Mexico City is one of the most air polluted capitals in the world, if not the most polluted in city in North America. Much of its pollution is caused by the tens of thousands of cars that flood the streets each day. The volume of exhaust, whether CO2, carbon monoxide, or just plain soot, fouls the air. $20 Off AeroGardens

According to Reuters, as found on greenroofs.org

"The smog-choked metropolis plans to replace gas tanks, clothes lines and heat-reflecting asphalt on 100,000 square feet (9,300 square metres) of publicly owned roof space each year with grass and bushes that will absorb carbon dioxide."

The other benefits, as found in the Chicago experiments with green roofs are by planting green roofs, the urban heat island effect is reduced, as well as fine particulate pollution. Additionally, storm water runoff is reduced, as the green roof absorbs and retains much of the rain. Water Barrels and Storage

Green roofs offer Mexico City an economic way of improving their air quality, water quality, and quality of life for its citizens and visitors. Green roofs may be more expensive than traditional roofs, but are definitely cheaper than the most modern pollution-reducing devices used in modern, Western factories.

Chicago is Using Green Roofs!

Chicago is using a grant for the US Environmental Protection Agency to study green roofs. A green roof has been planted on the City Hall building. According to the EPA:

Projected total direct electricity savings were 9,272 kilowatt-hours per year, and the corresponding savings in natural gas for heating were 7.372 therms per year. (This calculation compares the base case R-value, or thermal resistance value To definition provided on the glossary page , of 5.9 with the treated roof – garden and insulation – R-value 21.2.)

Additionally, the article provides specific details as to the plant life as well as the construction methods and materials.

In major cities, such as Chicago and New York City, the city government imposes a tax on the amount of storm water runoff each building contributes.

Green roofs in these cities help reduce that tax by having the green roof system store and use the storm water.

Additionally, green roofs add to property values, as they reduce the heating and cooling costs, as well as providing additional aesthetic appeal.