Not Just Any Green Roof

What interesting times we live in! I read an article in "The Economic Times," an Indian newspaper, titled "Green Roofs differ in Capacity to Cool Interiors." It discusses the green roof studies going on a the University of Texas.

At UT, there is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center that is hosting how different types of roofs impact temperature inside structures. In particular, they have built several identical steel structures and put different kinds of roofs on them and are measuring the temperatures and water retention.

Studies are clearly indicating that green roofs definitely reduce internal temperatures. From the article:

"During one 91-degree day, ... a black topped box without air conditioning reached 129º inside. Meanwhile, the green roof replicas produced indoor temperatures of 97 to 100 degrees F. "That's a huge difference to have a 20-or-so degree temperature drop," Simmons said, noting that green roofs' ... are also believed to double the lifespan of roofing material. "

However, in places like India and Texas, where flash flooding and storm water runoff are serious issues, different green roof materials perform better than others. Again, from the article, "Yet this feature varied the most among the six manufacturers. The better green roofs retained all of the water during a half-an-inch rainfall, and just under half the water when two inches of rain fell. "

Let's hope that the studies at UT, combined with the innovation in synthetic soil by Suntory, will spread the acceptance and use of green roofs world wide, as their ability to reduce air pollution and storm water runoff make a real difference!

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.

Cleaner Air For Cities

The air quality of the world's largest cities is a tragedy. If you are among the many people who believe there has to be a cost-effective, sustainable, and relatively simple way to have cleaner air in cities, you have come to right place. People since the Babylonians have enjoyed both the aesthetic value and positive environmental qualities of green roofs. In the simplest terms, a green roof is a roof that has plant life on it. The plant life helps to cool structures, capture stormwater (reducing runoff), as well as reducing carbon dioxide from the air. Additionally, the plant life on the green roof can help remove particulate matter from the air.

In recent years, as fears of climate change have reached a fever pitch, many have looked to the cost-effective proposition of green roofs. This blog seeks to study and promote the concept of green roofs, as well as adding to the literature and science.