I’ve been thinking about what features I’d like to include in an sustainable home design, and I’ve been intrigued by the benefits of green roofs. While the idea dates back to the hanging gardens of babylon, the types of green roofs that are in use today are more numerous than ever before, from ‘grass’ type roofs that simply provide heating and cooling benefits to full fledged roof gardens complete with fruit trees and walking paths.
The EPA cites a enormous cooling benefit for buildings that utilize green roofs, which can help to mitigate the heat island effect in urban settings (green roofs can be cooler than the ambient air temperature). Green roofs also reduce storm water runoff, help insulate buildings from external noises, and even increase the life of typical roofing materials by shielding them from UV radiation.
Check out the International Green Roof Association and Columbia University’s Center for Climatic Systems Research PDF report on Green Roofing and its benefits.
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Green roofs a great way to respond to climate change. Using green roof could really help reducing the affects of climate change. The by-products of green roofs system is the reduction of ambient temperatures in cities and also help trap carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ozone and PM10 particulates.
This green roof system could have a wider application in managing affects of the vast development of the new cities in China. Imagine if every new building in china’s city had a green roof, at least it could reduce the affects of the construction of the new buildings.
By Alex