Green roofing is a new age technology that introduces ecofriendly attributes to existing infrastructure. It introduces a form of vegetation to the roof of a building to help improve certain qualities of the building. Some of the benefits to green roofing are the reduction of heating and cooling costs, reduction of noise, increase in water control, and an improvement in aesthetic qualities. However, there are some disadvantages like the cost of installation and maintenance, the climate and location for plants, and insurance availability.
Many buildings that have a green roof have lowered heating and cooling costs for the whole building. The plants act as a barrier in the summer time by reflecting and absorbing energy from the sun. In the winter, plants act as a natural insulator. The plants can affect the temperature of a building up to 5°C. The amount of energy saved depends on what types of plants are being used. Some plants lose their leaves reducing the insulation qualities during winter. Another advantage to green roofing is that it reduces that amount of sound. Planes, trains, and automobiles can be very noisy, but plants can reduce that sound by 45-50dB. Water control is also improved with green roofing. Water can cause flooding which could lead to algae blooms in rivers or lakes. Finally, aesthetic qualities are very important to people. If the area can be observed by people, the types of plants will be more appealing to make the people more attracted to view. But, if the area is not viewed by people then the plants can be coving plants to help save on energy.
The maintenance of green roofs is very costly. The least amount of money for a square foot of green roofing is $8, but it normally ranges from $12 to $24. This is about 5-10 times more than traditional roofing of a building. With all the extra weight added to the roof, it needs to be reinforced so the roof does not collapse. Drainage is also a big problem with green roofing. If there is a break in the pipe, fixing it will be very hard to get to with all the material and plants on top of the water removal system. Another problem with green roofing is that plants must be able to grow in the area. And if the conditions of the growing area are too windy some of the plants could be blown away. It takes time for the plants to become established. Finally, insurance is not easy to come by for green roofing. There is a chance that the roof could leak and no insurance company wants to be liable for these buildings.
I believe that green roofs are a very good idea because the advantages out benefit the disadvantages. There is a large possibility to improve the technology for green roofs and turn cities into more ecofriendly environments.
References:
1. Bryan, G. (2010). Green roof construction. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from http://www.greenroofconstruction.co.uk/
2. Wark, C., & Wark, W. (2003). Green roof specifications and standards: establishing an emerging technology. The Construction Specifier, 56(8).
3. Green Roofs: Pros and Cons. (No date). Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://www.house-energy.com/Roof/Roof-green-costs.htm
4. Farrell, M., Eakin, J., & Meakin, M. (No date). Green Roof Information. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://www.dtzbarnicke.com/Client/JJB/JJB_LP4W_LND_WebStation.nsf/resources/Van+-+News+and+Information/$file/Green+Roof.pdf
1 comment:
This is a pretty interesting concept. It seems very expensive and probably costs a ton of money to maintain. It would be interesting if in the future green roofs went another step and people planted gardens or something on them.
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