Green Roof Technology in

Urban Settings
Living Machines

Melissa Senatore
Energy Law
Spring 2009
msenatore@kentlaw.edu
• According to the UN, 2005 was
the first year that more than half
of the world’s population lived in cities
• As cities expand to the edges of the
countryside, many problems emerge:

• Higher percentage of radiant surfaces cause

surrounding temperatures to rise
• Stormwater overwhelms the sewage systems
designed to carry it away
• Decrease in air quality
• More frequent and intense noise pollution
 Why Green Roofs?

• Green roofs represent an opportunity to

simultaneously mitigate environmental
problems and create life-enhancing value
• Cool temperatures in urban areas
• Delay stormwater runoff
• Improve air quality
• Preserve and restore habitats
• Beautify the cityscape
 History of Green Roofs
• The idea of greening roofs dates back
thousands of years

• Early Mesopotamians, Greeks, Romans, and

Persians used them to green and cool brutally hot
landscapes
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually
planted on rooftops
• Scandinavians greened their roofs to provide
extra warmth and insulation in their cold, wet
climate
 Modern Green Roofs
• Europe has been on the forefront

• Germany has emerged as the world leader in

developing green roof technology

• The concept is rapidly spreading to the rest of

the world as a combination of an
environmentally aware public, radical
ecological pressure groups, and scientific
research have produced the technology and
means for green roof development in a ripe
social and political climate
Green Roofs of the World

Waldspirale, Austria
 Asian Crossroads
Over the Sea
Fukuoka, Japan

Asian
 School of Art, Design and Media
Nanyang Technical University, Singapore
Allen and Ovary Headquarters
London, England
Homes in Iceland
 What is a Green Roof?
• Green roofs are roofs that have a layer of
living plants on top of the standard
structure and waterproofing elements of a
more common roof
Components of a Green Roof

Specific materials may vary, but every green

roof has the same basic components
 Types of Green Roofs
• Intensive:
• Have a soil depth of one foot or more
• Require substantial structural elements to support
the weight of potential human occupancy and
elaborate plantings
• Can sustain a wide range of plant species
• Typically require a fair amount of regular
maintenance
• Often installed as an outdoor amenity space
• Can accommodate a wider range of edibles,
shrubs, trees
• Extensive:

• More common than Intensive Roofs

• Shallow, soil is typically 2-4 inches deep
• Planted with particularly hardy plants—drought and
wind resistant
• Lightweight
• Low-maintenance
• Inaccessible—generally aren’t built for human
occupancy
• Cover vast majority of roof
 Plant Selection

• Traditional rules used for ground level

plant selection will not work
• Plants must be tougher and less nutrient-
reliant than most plants found in gardens
• Should consist of predominantly
groundcovers with a limited amount of
accent plants
• When making plant selections,
must consider:
• Design intent
• Life expectancy of roof
• Medium weight, depth, composition
• Budget
• Maintenance parameters
• Access and safety issues
• Region and climate
• Exposure
• Humidity/Dryness
• Maximum/Minimum temps
• Irrigation
 Types of Plants
• Hardy Succulents
• Annuals
• Perennials
• Grasses
• Native Plants
• Herbs
• Bulbs
• Seasonal Flowering or Evergreen Plants
Benefits of Green Roofs
Energy and Environmental Issues
Urban Heat Island Effect
• Occurs when dark-colored, impermeable
surfaces, like roofs, absorb solar heat energy
and radiate it back into the air
• This causes temperatures to be higher in
high-density cities than in surrounding areas

Urban Heat Curve

• Asphalt and concrete absorb and
radiate the most heat, so the
prevalence of asphalt and concrete
rooftops plays a major role in heat island
effect
 Negative Effects

• Higher temperatures increase electricity

demand

• In large U.S. cities, peak summer utility loads

are estimated to rise 1.5%-2% for each 1°
increase in temperature
• Could cost ratepayers billions annually and
require costly new generating facilities
• Air quality declines as temperatures
rise
• Power plants emit more pollutants
to keep up with higher energy demand
• Smog and other dangerous pollutants form
more readily in high temperatures
• Heat related illnesses like heatstroke and
respiratory illness increase
• especially among the most vulnerable inner-city
populations: low-income residents,
the elderly, children
• Chicago’s 1995 heatwave
caused 739 deaths in 5 days
• As global warming and urbanization
trends continue, heat islands will
grow
How Green Roofs Can Help

• Two ways to mitigate urban heat island:

1. Increase vegetation
2. Increase surface reflectivity

• Green roofs do both; they are not only

more reflective than black roofs but they
include plants that actively cool the air by
drawing moisture from the soil and
evaporating through their leaves
• A typical asphalt roof can reach
160°on a summer day while
green roofs rarely exceed 80°
 Energy Savings
• Evaporative cooling reduces
heat transfer through the roof into the
building, making the inside cooler and
reducing the need for AC

• In the winter, green roofs can insulate

buildings by preventing inside heat from
moving through the roof, saving energy
and costs associated with heating
 Air Quality

• A green roofs improves air quality by

filtering the air that moves across it and
removing airborne particulate matter that
comes from the cars, trucks, and factories
found in urban areas

• Green roofs produce oxygen and reduce

carbon dioxide through photosynthesis
 In Sum
• Energy savings accrue from:

• Reduced Urban Heat Island

• Evaporative Cooling
• Increased Insulation
• Thermal Mass Effects
 Stormwater Runoff

• Up to 75% of many cities are covered in

impervious surfaces; roofs account for a
large part of these

• This means that 75% of

precipitation is not being
absorbed and instead runs off into
city sewers systems, often
overwhelming them in the process
 Negative Effects

• Older cities with combined sewage

systems can suffer from “combined
sewage overflow” (CSO) when an
increase in the volume of water in the
system overwhelms it and causes the
overflow to spill untreated into waterways
• This water can contain
pathogens, toxins, nutrients
and other pollutants that
endanger human health
• Modern sewage systems have
separate systems for wastewater
and stormwater
• Stormwater is discharged directly into receiving
water bodies

• Runoff water can carry toxic contaminants

from streets and sidewalks into the
receiving bodies
• Beach closures in Chicago have become more
frequent as e-coli from sewage overflows has
contaminated Lake Michigan
How Green Roofs Can Help
• Since the CWA mandates that cities curb
CSO and runoff pollution, green roofs can
be a cost-effective management tool
compared to conventional treatment and
retention methods
• Other solutions require massive public
investment in new infrastructure

• This can potentially lower the tax burdens

of city residents
• Green roofs retain and detain
stormwater, reducing runoff
volume and slowing the rate at
which it enters the sewage system
• When captured by a green roof,
the water that eventually runs
off does so in periods of hours or
days rather than minutes

• This is beneficial because it is the initial flood

of runoff that triggers overflows
• The first ½ inch of runoff is of the greatest
concern to cities because it carries the most
concentrated pollutants
• Green roofs can absorb up to 1 inch of rain
and reduce runoff to the sewer system
 Ecological Benefits
• Habitat fragmentation, pollution, and noise
make modern cities hostile to most plant
and animal species
• Green roofs can create healthy,
functioning habitats in the midst of an
urban landscape

• Can replicate local ecosystems

• Supports biodiversity
• Can be a safer habitat for insects
• Migratory birds and butterflies
especially benefit from green
roofs because their habitat in urban
areas is limited and fragmented

• Studies show that

butterflies will fly as
high as 20 stories
for access to
green space
 Quality of Life Benefits
• Green roofs beautify the cityscape

• Green spaces have been shown to:

• Decrease stress
• Improve recovery times
• Create safe space for relaxation and recreation
• Decrease noise pollution

• Can be used for local food production

• Haiti, Columbia, Thailand, Russia
• Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver ($30,000 a year!)
 Other Benefits
• Increased roof life
• Green roofs can double/triple the life of the
roof membrane by eliminating weather-related
expansion and retraction and the damaging
exposure to sunlight
• Good PR for corporations
• Creates areas for scientific research
• Job creation
 Toronto Study
• In 2004, the city of Toronto commissioned
Ryerson University to prepare a study on
the potential environmental benefits of
widespread implementation of green roofs
in Toronto
 Results
• Stormwater Runoff Benefits:
• Reduction in flow of 12 million m3 per year
• Infrastructure savings worth between $2.8
and $79 million per year
• Erosion control measures worth $25 million
• Pollution control avoidance worth $14 million
• 3 additional beach open days per year worth
$750,000
• Energy Consumption Benefits:
• Citywide savings from reduced
energy for cooling was $21,000,000
• Cost avoided due to reduced demand at peak
times was $68,000,000

• Urban Heat Island Effect Benefits:

• Reduction of ambient temperature from 0.5°to
2°c

• Air Quality and Emissions Benefits:

• Reduction in levels of CO, NO2, O3, PM10, SO2
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
Green Roofs of the US

Ford Motor Company

Dearborn, MI
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District
Milwaukee, WI
Gap Corporate Office
San Bruno, CA
 Penn State University
Horticulture Department
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Salt Lake City, UT
 Disadvantages
• Higher first costs because of the additional
material needed and high installation costs
• Longer to realize investment returns

• Require higher maintenance for plant care

and upkeep until plants are fully
established and the roof is fully covered
(extensive roof/about 2 years)
• Ongoing maintenance is required
• Irrigation considerations
• May be harder to find experienced
professionals to design, maintain
and install the roof

• It is more difficult to locate leaks in the

waterproofing material
• Green roofs do not work well with very
steep slopes

• Retrofitting can be difficult because of

weight considerations
 Government Sponsored
Incentives for Green Roofs
What Governments Can Do to Help
 Follow Germany’s Lead

• Germany has emerged as the world leader

in green roof technology not only because
of their technological advancements but
because of the legislation they have
passed which mandates the construction
green roofs under specific conditions and
offer economic incentives to install them
 Federal Legislation
• The Clean Energy Stimulus and
Investment Assurance Act of 2009 was
introduced on January 26 and is currently
being reviewed in committee

• §506 of the bill gives a 30% tax credit for

qualified green roof property expenditures
on residential and commercial buildings
 State Legislation

• Several U.S. states offer tax incentives for

incorporating green building practices
into the design and construction of new
government and commercial buildings
 Local Legislation
• With building incentives, grants and
educational outreach, local governments can
foster and promote green roof construction

• Nonprofit groups and associations are also

helping governments explore the economics
and policies that effect green roof technology
• In 2007, Earth Pledge received a $300,000 grant from
the Home Depot Foundation to foster green
infrastructure in Minneapolis, LA, and Atlanta
 Several Cities are
Leading the Way
• Portland, Oregon’s 2005 policy required
green roofs to be installed where
practicable on all city buildings when they
were being re-roofed

• NYC has recently

constructed seven roof
projects on apartments buildings
in the Bronx, Brooklyn,
and Harlem
• Washington DC has implemented
several green roof programs to
help abate the problem of
stormwater runoff

• DC Water and Sewer Authority provided a

$300,000 grant for green roof development
• Builders who include green roofs in their plans
receive expedited processing
• The District Department of the Environment has
offered almost $800,000 to builders in cash
grants and is in the process of installing green
roofs on three new community recreation centers,
two public schools, and one housing development
And then there’s Chicago…
Part of Mayor Daley’s quest to make
Chicago the Greenest City in America
 Green Roofs in Chicago
• Chicago leads the country in green roofs,
with 300 buildings comprising over 3
million square feet of green
roof

• Most roofs are on

commercial buildings but
many are on civic buildings
and smaller stores

South Loop Target

 City Hall
• Among the first of the nation’s green roofs,
it was first planted in 2000
• Both extensive and intensive plantings
cover about 38,800 square feet
• Contains over 20,000 plants of more than
150 species of vines, grasses, shrubs, and
2 trees
• Saves the city about $3,600 a year in
projected energy costs
Chicago City Hall
 Chicago Building
Incentives

• Chicago gives a density bonus for green

roofs in the loop which permits developers
to increase the number of units allowed on
one property

• Offers an “express lane” for permitting and

waives the processing fee
 Chicago Building
Requirements
• Any developer who receives city
assistance must include a green roof in
the project

• All new and replaced roofs in Chicago

must meet minimum standards of solar
reflectivity and emissions—green roofs are
one way to achieve this
The Future of Green Roofs
Where will the technology go next?
 Future Possibilities
• Toyota Green Roofing Tiles:
• 20 inch square tiles that can be installed like
carpet
• Their base can connect directly into existing
irrigation systems
• The tiles are only two inches thick- likely
eliminating the need for additional structural
support of the underlying roof in most cases
• Consist of a type of grass from Korea which only
requires cutting once each year
• Roof top hybrids where multiple
sustainable energy options are
combined:
• Water recycling and storage, and harnessing
wind and solar energy all at roof level

• EPA could
incorporate green
roofs into incentives
for cities to comply
with the CWA
“On this rooftop…
I’m watching you move among your sparse,
pinchpenny flowers,
…that pull the sun’s rays in as best they can
and suck life up from one mere inch of
dirt.”

Howard Moss, “The Roof Garden”