Green Roofs
Green Roofs
A single shingle on your home or apartment building takes around 400 years to decompose (Bush J. 2023). Asphalt shingles are also made up of many carcinogenic chemicals that can contaminate water supplies. (University of Texas at Austin 2011). Construction waste accounts for millions of tons of waste produced globally (Purchase et al., 2021). Most construction waste cannot be reused or recycled, therefore calling out a need for environmentally friendly materials. The solution is the future of roofing infrastructure. Green roofs.
Residential Vegetated Roofs
A vegetated roof that can double as a garden as well as providing multiple benefits to ecosystems and the environment. Green roofs are the key to solving our current roofing problems, while combating pollution, climate change, and urban heat island effect (Geyi̇kli̇, H. B., & Canan, F. 2021).This proposal provides a meta analysis on the benefits of green roofs while pointing out the residential green roof gap in current discussions and research involving green roofing practices. A common gap in the conversation of green roofs is the residential aspect. Most research up to this point highlights benefits of green roofs in a commercial or urban environment. This research proposal intends to make note of green roof benefits that can be done to your home, garage, shed, etc.
Small Is Still an Improvement.
Most of the current information done through studies and research is based around larger commercial and corporate green roofs. This is primarily because urban and commercial areas require green roofs to provide the benefits listed above to combat heat island effect, as well as lack of biodiversity in these areas. However, small and domestic green roofs create a greater opportunity to achieve sustainability because there will usually be a higher degree of ownership and care (Dunnett, N 2011). These authors show all types of green roofs, far from your ideal green roof visions you have in your head. The concept of a green roof is so simple that many fail to understand that small is still an improvement. The current green roof stratagem fails to make note of this.
Low Impact Developments (LID)
A main argument against green roofs is cost effectiveness, the study completed by Barros an environmental engineer examines low impact developments (LID) such as green roofs. The findings of the present study demonstrate how the optimization of design parameters may lead to further economic LID designs and provide additional guidance for LID practice implementation and to assist in the decision-making process for the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions (Barros et al., 2022).
Urban Areas Ecosystem Services
Green roofs provide ecosystem services in urban areas, including improved storm-water management, better regulation of building temperatures, reduced urban heat-island effects, and increased urban wildlife habitat. Emphasizing the potential for improving green-roof function by understanding the interactions between its ecosystem elements, especially the relationships among growing media, soil biota, and vegetation, and the interactions between community structure and ecosystem functioning (Oberndorfer et al., 2007).
Urban Heat Island Effect
An example of an environmental merit would be to combat and mitigate urban heat island effect. The urban heat island effect amplifies the global warming phenomenon with sensible aftermaths on the building energy consumptions. The absence of green areas as well as the lack of free unsurfaced spaces creates a sort of urban cap and a heat reflection effect (Battista et al., 2022). Green roofs reduce the urban heat island effect, absorbing stormwater and air pollution, and serving as habitat for wildlife. However, many cities have not taken advantage of green roofs as a nature-based solution. In New York City (NYC), approximately 20% of the landscape is covered by buildings, thus rooftops present a substantial opportunity for expanding green infrastructure (Tregila et al., 2022 ).
Methods & Justification
This proposal points out the benefits green roofs can provide, through meta-analysis of cost effectiveness and merits of vegetated roofs while making note of the usefulness in residential green roofs. This method is appropriate for the topic of green roofs because in this proposal we are enlightening the benefits of green roofs, while noting the residential gap in the current meta-analysis.
Summary
Overall, green roofs are a feasible solution to mitigate and combat many effects that are associated with our current roofing practices and urban development. Green roofs are a solution to the linear economy model. At the same time providing numerous benefits and limitations of environmental effects. This proposal aims to point out the benefits green roofs can provide, through meta-analysis of cost effectiveness and merits of vegetated roofs while pointing out the usefulness in residential green roofs.
References
Battista, G., Vollaro, E. de, & Vollaro, R. de. (2021). How cool pavements and green roof affect building energy performances. Heat Transfer Engineering, 43(3–5), 326–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/01457632.2021.1874667
Bush, J. (2023, October 24). Environmental cost of asphalt shingles - cornett roofing. Cornett Roofing Systems. https://cornettroofing.com/the-environmental-cost-of-asphalt-shingles/#:~:text=Industry%20experts%20estimate%20that%20asphalt,for%20other%20types%20of%20waste.
de Barros, R. V., Amorim Lopes, E. E., & da Silva, G. B. (2022). Exploring trade-offs between cost and peak flow reduction toward identifying optimal lid designs combining green roof and permeable pavement. Urban Water Journal, 19(10), 1047–1059. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062x.2022.2121735
Dunnett, N. (2011). Small green roofs: Low-tech options for Greener Living. Timber. https://books.google.com/books?id=XqMt8k3qaWIC&dq=residential+green+roofs,+diy&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Francis, L. F. M., Alcazar, S. S., Alexandri, E., Ascione, F., Baik, J.-J., Berardi, U., Blank, L., Bowler, D. E., Castleton, H. F., Chan, A. L. S., Chen, H., Chen, D., Coma, J., Costanzo, V., Coutts, A. M., D’Orazio, M., Dvorak, B., Bachawati, M. E., Foustalieraki, M., … Spala, A. (2017, October 28). Benefits of green roofs: A systematic review of the evidence for three ecosystem services. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866717302479?via%3Dihub
Geyi̇kli̇, H. B., & Canan, F. (2021). Examination of vertical green facades and green roofs in terms of ecological criteria and evaluation of energy efficiency. Gümüshane Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(4), 1047–1058. https://doi.org/10.17714/gumusfenbil.929266
Oberndorfer, E., Lundholm, J., Bass, B., Coffman, R. R., Doshi, H., Dunnett, N., Gaffin, S., Köhler, M., Liu, K. K. Y., & Rowe, B. (2007, November). Green roofs as urban ecosystems: Ecological structures, functions, and services. BioOne Complete. https://bioone.org/journals/bioscience/volume-57/issue-10/B571005/Green-Roofs-as-Urban-Ecosystems--Ecological-Structures-Functions-and/10.1641/B571005.full
Purchase, C. K., Al Zulayq, D. M., O’Brien, B. T., Kowalewski, M. J., Berenjian, A., Tarighaleslami, A. H., & Seifan, M. (2021, December 23). Circular economy of construction and Demolition Waste: A literature review on lessons, Challenges, and benefits. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/1/76
Treglia, M. L., McPhearson, T., Sanderson, E. W., Yetman, G., & Maxwell, E. N. (2022). Examining the distribution of green roofs in New York City through a lens of social, ecological, and technological filters. Ecology & Society, 27(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13303-270320
University of Texas at Austin. (2011, June 15). Rainwater harvest study finds roofing material affects water quality. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 25, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307142229.htm
