Study Gives Green Light to Green Roofs

Study Gives Green Light to Green Roofs
By David Bois | Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:00 PM ET

Material selection and system design are certainly critical considerations that go into constructing a modern, efficient building with minimized environmental impact. But the quest for sustainable construction doesn't stop with the windows, or with recycled materials, or with water recycling.

No, to cap it all off, you've got to think of the roof. And Tonic reported back in July of findings that suggested that white roofs could mimic the albedo effect provided by the ice caps by reflecting incoming solar energy and driving temperatures and down cooling costs.

Now, a Michigan State University study suggests that roof design should go green, literally and figuratively.

As reported by EurekAlert, the study currently published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology involved the monitoring of green roofs installed on several large urban buildings in Maryland and Michigan.

The MSU team calculates that a broad, urban-scale approach to installing green roofs -- those that include soil and living grass and other plant life -- could provide the equivalent benefit of removing thousands of vehicles from the roads.

It's long been known that a green roof can serve to cool a building down and efficiently capture rainwater. But the MSU study appears to be among the first to actually quantify the benefits provided by a green roof design, particularly as they relate to greenhouse gas emissions.

(Green roofs are also supposed to last twice as long as conventional roofs. I painted my roof with white paint, after sealing it first. A green roof would be the next step. My roof is pitched so having soil, plants, and flowers on it will probably be a problem. My gutters funnel rainwater into my rain barrel. I drilled 12 inch holes in my converted garbage can, mostly at the top, to catch the rainwater. Holes much bigger might allow rats and mice to gain entry.Urban flat roofs seem much better suited for green roofs.)