Do the Green Roofs Actually Work By Kanstantsin

Do the Green Roofs Actually Work? By Kanstantsin Yanchanka ECON 2505 Fall 2015

Types of Green Roofs Intensive green roof • Accessible to people. • A lot of maintenance. • Before installation the roof requires structural upgrade to support extra weight. • More expensive. Extensive green roof • Inaccessible to people. • Two inspections per year. • Less weight. In some cases the roof does not need a structural upgrade. • Less expensive.

Extensive Green Roof Sedum: • Wind resistive. • Heat resistant. • Drought tolerant. • Deep roots. • Only 6 inch tall. • Forms a dense carpet.

Benefits of Green Roofs 1. Stromwater Management. • Water is stored in the plants and then returned back to the atmosphere through evaporation. 2. Energy Efficiency. • Green roofs reduce the amount of energy needed to moderate the temperature of a building. 3. Better Air Quality. • The plants capture airborne pollutants. 4. Reduction of Electromagnetic Radiation. 5. Noise Reduction. • Green roofs have excellent noise attenuation, especially for low frequency sounds.

Critiques of Green Roofs 1. Expensive to install. • 20$ per square foot + structural upgrade of the roof. 2. Sedum is an inadequate plant. • Low biodiversity of the roof. • Low heat management (absorbs heat instead of reflecting it). o Low energy efficiency.

Research Question Do the green roofs actually work or do they sound good only on a paper?

Cost-Analysis 1. Installation of a green roof raises a value of building. Example: In Boston, an $112, 500 investment in an extensive green roof raised the value of a building by $2. 4 Million. (J. P. Morgan Asset Management estimated the green roof has improved the value of the property by 2. 4 million) 2. New York State passed legislation to provide a one-year tax abatement.

Field Research Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Extensive Green Roof

Javits Center Green Roof Year: 2014 Type: Extensive Size: 297, 000 sq. ft. Access: Inaccessible System: Xero Flor XF 301+1”XT Manufacturer: Xero Flor America Installer: United States Roofing Corporation Key points: 1. Manufactured in U. S. A. 2. Locally Grown (Upstate NY). • Supports local economy. 3. Fully grown plants (9 -12 months). • Plants are adapted to the local environment.

Certifications LEED Certification • Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. • Developed by the non-profit U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC). • It includes a set of rating systems for the design , construction, and maintenance of green buildings that aims at efficient use of resources. C 2 C Certification • Cradle to Cradle (C 2 C) focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and recycled as technical nutrients or composted as biological nutrients. • Developed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Results After installation of extensive green roof at Javits Center: • 26 percent reduction in the energy use. • Extended service life of the roof by shielding it from ultraviolet radiation and temperature extremes. • Prevents approximately 6. 8 million gallons of runoff water per year. • 11 species of birds were spotted on the roof.

Conclusion 1. Initial installation is expensive. But there is a support from the government and return on the investment. 2. Reduced energy use by 26%. 3. Biodiversity increases. 4. A lot of environmental benefits. The green roofs do work!

Thank You!