University Roofs Go Green in the United States
In the October 2008 issue of Stormwater Magazine, writer Margaret Buranen examines the state-of-the-art of green roofs in the USA today, providing some basic definitions of their types and construction. The article also looks at how the United States compares to Europe, where green roofs are more widely used, and how some of the barriers, such as higher costs, are slowly being removed.
“All across the country, college and university administrators are raising the roof—green roofs, that is, ” writes Buranen. “They have discovered what a number of people involved with municipal construction know: green roofs are frequently worthwhile investments of funds for both new construction and retrofit projects.”
Buranen reports that Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a nonprofit industry association, has a helpful gauge for determining how cost effective a green roof, new or retrofit, would be for a particular building. Its GreenSave Calculator is available online at www.greenroofs.org.
How Much Runoff Does a Roof Retain?
The article quotes various research sources regarding the ability of green roofs to retain rainwater. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, for example, reports 70% to 90% of rainfall retention in summer and 25% to 40% in winter.
Acknowlegment:
Before STORMWATER, The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals, there was no single publication written specifically for the professional involved with surface water quality issues, protection, projects, and programs. Margaret Buranen of Lexington, Kentucky, writes on environmental and business topics for a number of national publications.
Posted October 2008