Roofing News You Can Use

Study Confirms Benefits of Green Roofs

October, 2009

A new study conducted by researchers at Michigan State University has confirmed some of the eco-benefits of green roofs. A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil. Green roofs are very helpful in reducing harmful greenhouse gases (as the study found). Green roofs specifically help reduce carbon dioxide in the air. Kristen Getter, the lead researcher in the study, explains, “The key to fighting global warming is capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in new reservoirs that weren’t storing carbon before.”

In fact, as stated in the October 2009 msnbc.com article on the study, “The metropolitan area of Detroit has between about 65 million square meters and 85 million square meters of rooftop land. Greening all of that area, the researchers reported in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, would be like removing 10,000 mid-sized SUVs or trucks from the roads for a year.”

The study measured the amount of carbon stored in vegetation above ground on 12 typical green roofs in Michigan and Maryland. For two growing seasons, they also measured carbon both above and below ground on an experimental roof at Michigan State University.

Green Roof Benefits

• Can lower your a/c usage by reflecting the heat off your roof.
• Can lower your heating costs in the winter as the vegetation and soil acts as an additional layer of insulation.
• Helps urban areas stay cooler.
• Reduces noise pollution.

If you are interested in installing a green roof on your home or office roof, then you will need the services of both a roofer trained in green roof installation and a landscaper familiar with the local vegetation.