![]() Enhanced stormwater management and water quality: Green roofs can reduce and slow stormwater runoff in the urban environment, and also filter pollutants from rainfall.Such connections to nature have been shown to benefit human physical and mental health and productivity, and reduce blood pressure and hospital stays. They improve human interaction with nature by introducing green space into the built environment. Improved quality of life: Green roofs provide aesthetic value and habitat for plant and animal species.Improved human health and comfort: Green roofs, by reducing heat transfer through the building roof, can improve indoor comfort, and lower the incidence of heat stress associated with heat waves.Reduced energy use: Green roofs remove heat from the air through the process of evapotranspiration, and also act as insulators for buildings, reducing the energy needed to provide cooling and heating.Vegetation can also remove pollutants and GHGs from the air through dry deposition and carbon sequestration and storage, respectively. Reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions: By lowering air-conditioning demand, green roofs can decrease the associated air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from conventional power sources.Both options are important strategies for mitigating heat island effects. Cool roofs are best suited for projects with limited budgets and a primary focus on energy savings, while green roofs are preferred when lifecycle costs, public benefits, and broader environmental impacts are of interest. However, green roofs offer added benefits such as reducing and filtering stormwater runoff absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide providing natural habitat and in the case of intensive green roofs, serving as recreational green space. 5 Both cool and green roofs provide benefits of lower surface and air temperatures, and decreased energy demand. While green roofs often have initially higher costs than cool roofs, green roofs typically have a longer expected life. Cool roofs are made of highly reflective and emissive materials that remain cooler than traditional materials during peak temperatures. The Common Green Roof Layers figure (below) represents the most common design of a green roof, although not all the layers shown are found on every green roof.Ĭool roofs present another option to reduce the heat island effect. Require more structural support since they are heavierīoth types of green roofs consist of the same basic layering components with a number of barriers to prevent water or root damage to the structure, a drainage layer to aid in water drainage, as well as a growing medium and vegetative layer. ![]() ![]()
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