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There are many ways to create efficient buildings that use less energy without sacrificing comfort and functionality. Through sustainable practices and design, we can embrace creative solutions that improve our natural environment and lessen our carbon footprint. One sustainable solution lies above our heads in the form of green roofs. Green roofs are an innovative option that provide numerous benefits to building users and the surrounding community.
What is a Green Roof?
A green roof, also called a living roof, is an eco-friendly approach to roofing where the building top is covered with vegetation or plants. Green roofs may include herbs, grass, drought resistant plants, flowers, shrubs, and even edible fruits and vegetables. There are many options for living roofs, from sprawling gardens with perennials and fruit trees, to simple and low-maintenance plants like grasses and bushes. Because there is not as deep a layer of soil as in natural gardens, the choices can be limited on the plant types for green cover. There are many ways to creatively utilize green roof space and designs may include:
- Intensive, walkable roof gardens
- Shallower, performance-focused allotments
- Natural, flat gardens or raised beds
- Hanging garden with pots vertically lined up or multi-tier systems
Benefits of Living Roofs
When considering the installation of a green roof, there are several factors that can guide decision-making. In an education setting, a green roof creates opportunities for integration into the curriculum. Students can be involved in living roof systems from planting and maintenance, to learning about plant life, local biology, and community gardening. More benefits for schools and other commercial properties:
- Natural Insulation: The most noticeable benefit to green roofs will be lower electricity bills. Green roofs act as natural insulation that will keep heat out during summers and will keep heat inside during winters. As a result, one could reduce energy consumption up to 30 percent.
- Natural Comfort: Usually, rooms at the topmost floor below the roof are the most uncomfortable during any weather extreme. However, plants and grasses are better regulators of temperature than traditional roof materials so green roofs can add to the overall comfort in your facility.
- Produce: Green roofs that have a substantial size or floor area can be easily used to grow many kinds of flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Organic produce can be cultivated on green roofs for consumption, for selling, or for educational purposes.
- Noise and Water Control: Whether a traditional roof is metal, tile, asphalt, or slate there is opportunity for outside noise to penetrate the facility. Green roofs will absorb more noise than an ordinary roof. Green roofs also minimize rain runoff and storm water detention on your site.
- Better Environment: Not only do green roofs help the environment at large, but they also improve your community environment. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and absorb pollutants to cleanse the air. Native plant species also support bees and other native pollinators.
Other Green Roof Considerations
Green roofs can be costly to build and maintain when compared to ordinary roofs, and not all roofs would qualify for a living plant system. One must factor in the cost of the additional foundation, soil, various plants, and the installation itself. Just as any garden, the maintenance of watering to keeping the plants safe from pests, insects, and other threats is an additional cost. It is also important that the property is not vulnerable to water damage. The longevity of the green roof and lifecycle of the facility will determine if the cost of the gardens will realize eventual energy cost savings.
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