What You Need to do More of, Better, and Differently When It Comes to Green Roofs: Lessons Learned from

10 Years of Green Roof Research and Construction in North America

Part 1 - Current State of Knowledge and Research Needs

Roger Grothe Jake Grothe Aloha Landscaping

Aloha Landscaping
High Profile Commercial Landscape Design/Build Company Green Roof Design Build Company Green Roof Product Innovator Green Roof Educator Designed and Installed over 40,000 m2 of Green Roofs Helped to Design and Install the First Green Roof on Guam 2009 Landscaper of the Year 2010 Environmental Leadership Award

Green Roof Defined

Creating a green space on top of a human-made structure

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Green Roofs Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Growth of the North American Green Roof Industry

800 000 S q u a r e M e t e r s 700 000 600 000 500 000 400 000 300 000 200 000 100 000 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year

Annual % Growth of the North American Green Roof Industry

P e r c e n t a g e G r o 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year 2009 2010

Shift From Novel to Necessary

Percentage of Private Projects is Catching Up With Government Stimulus Green Roof Projects Depressed Commercial Properties Are Looking to Green Roofs to Help Increase Property Values Developers are Using Green Roofs to Help Increase the Overall Size of the Building Footprint Rapid Growth Requires Aggressive Environmental Offsets Provided by Green Roofs

Percentage of Private Projects is Catching Up With Government Stimulus Green Roof Projects
Developers and Building Owners Are Realizing the Economic, Environmental, and Social Benefit of Investing in Green Roofs With or Without Government Incentives
General Mills World HQ Intensive/Extensive Green Roof Sculpture Garden

Depressed Commercial Properties Are Looking to Green Roofs to Help Increase Property Values
Property Managers/Owners are Realizing That Green Sells

Developers are Using Green Roofs to Help Increase the Overall Size of the Building Footprint
Retention Ponds Consume Valuable Land Focus Pollutants in a Single Area and Can Lead to Water Supply Problems

Rapid Growth Requires Aggressive Environmental Offsets Provided by Green Roofs

A 2.5 cm Rainfall Hitting .4 Hectare of Asphalt Yields 102,206 Liters of Water Where Will it Go? Traditional Building Materials Especially Roofing Absorbs and Retains Heat Creating a Heat Island Effect. Loss of Green Space to Impervious Surfaces Requires Creating New Green Spaces for Wildlife and Plant Species to Survive.

What We Know About Green Roof Benefits

Excellent Storm Water Capture and Filtration Reduce Heating and Cooling Costs Reduce Local Heat Island Effect Extend the Life Expectancy of Waterproofing Improve Property Values Increase Self-Report of Satisfaction People Feel Better Urban Farming is Successful

What We Know About Green Roof Mechanics

Tray System Installations Not as Robust as Conventional Green Roof Systems Expanded Shale/Calcined Clay-Based Medium Has a High Embodiment Energy Value Up to 1,300% Higher Than Pumice-Based Medium Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation Provides the Most Efficient Water Distribution Plant Palette Expands in Direct Relation to Media Depth

Expanded Shale/Calcined Clay-Based Medium Has a High Embodiment Energy Value Up to 1,300% Higher Than Pumice-Based Medium

Tray System installations Not as Robust as Conventional Green Roof systems

Trays Can Pull Membrane and Create Leaks Black Edges Absorb Heat and Can Cause Plant Stress The Grid Will Naturally Reassert Itself Over Time Europe Only Installs Approximately 3-4% of Green Roofs With Trays Versus 30-40% 10 Years Ago. Double the Cost of Non-Tray Systems

Expanded Shale/Calcined Clay-Based Medium Has a High Embodiment Energy Value Up to 1,300% Higher Than Pumice-Based Medium

Expanded Shale/Calcined Clay-Based Medium Has a High Embodiment Energy Value Up to 1,300% Higher Than Pumice-Based Medium
Naturally Occurring No Mining or Processing Required Holds and Releases Water More Efficiently Than ManMade Products High Albedo Coeffient Helps to Keep the Roof Cooler by Reflecting the Sun Lower Thermal Conductivity Helps Retain Heat in Winter

Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation Provides the Most Efficient Water Distribution

Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation Provides the Most Efficient Water Distribution

Provides Consistent Moisture Eliminates Water Waste with Surface Evaporation Creates Wetted Area Up to 45% Larger Than A Surface Drip System Doesnt Water Surface Weed Seed

Plant Palette Expands in Direct Relation to Media Depth

10.2 cm Depth
Sedum Most Varieties Irish Moss Sagina Subulata Allium Wild Onion Geum Triflorum Prairie Smoke Dalea Purpurea Purple Prairie Clover Sporobolus Heterrolepis Prairie Dropseed

Plant Palette Expands in Direct Relation to Media Depth

15.2 cm Depth
Sedum Most Varieties Allium Wild Onion Irish Moss Sagina Subulata Geum Triflorum Prairie Smoke Dalea Purpurea Purple Prairie Clover Sporobolus Heterrolepis Prairie Dropseed Bouteloua Curtipendula Side Oats Gramma Koeleria Macrantha - June Grass

Plant Palette Expands in Direct Relation to Media Depth

20.3 30.5 cm Depth
All Sedum Varieties All Perennials Most Grasses Some Compact Shrubs and Evergreens Some Ornamental Trees with Winter Protection Continus Coggygria Smoke Tree Korean Maple Japanese Maple

Current Research Needs

Understanding Waterproofing Longevity in Green Roof Applications Better Understanding of the Return on Investment (ROI) Role of Automatic Irrigation in Long-Term Survival and Plant Health Impact of Green Roofs on Population Health and Healing Factors That Increase Biodiversity

Key Resources
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) International Green Roof Association (IGRA) World Green Roof Congress Realgreenroofs.com Green Roof Manual Green Roof Plants

Green Roof Manual

Green Roof Plants

Questions