Photo courtesy of roofportland.com
Green roofs, also known as vegetated rooftops or eco-roofs, are energy-efficient and ecologically-sensitive installations of vegetation onto a rooftop. According to an empirical study conducted by American Rivers on green roof stormwater retention performance, green roofs can retain anywhere from 40 to 80 percent of annual precipitation. Green Roofs are an integral solution to the stormwater management and energy reduction (thru climate control), in addition to increasing natural habitat and agricultural space in an otherwise urban location. The benefits of green roofs are numerous and include:
- Reducing a building’s cooling needs by 50-90%;
- Reducing temperature fluctuations on a rooftop, which allows HVAC equipment to operate less and with greater efficiency;
- Reducing the volume of runoff into combined sewer systems, which helps prevents overflows;
- Creates a natural habitat, promoting biodiversity;
- Improves air quality;
- Reduces noise pollution; and
- Creates jobs.
For more information on how green roofs provide environmental, economic and social benefits, visit DC Greenworks