10 Usable Green Roof Benefits
1. New Amenity Space
Serve any number of functions and uses, including:
Community gardens (e.g. local food production or co-ops);
Commercial space (e.g. display areas and restaurant terraces);
Recreational space (e.g. lawn bowling and social gathering for employees/staff)
2. Marketing
Increase a building's marketability by facilitating sales, lease-outs, increased property value due to increased efficiency, easier employee recruiting and lower employee and tenant turnover
3. Aesthetic Improvements
Easy and effective strategy for beautifying the built environment and increasing investment opportunity
4. Improved Health and Well-Being
- Reduce pollution and increase water quality can decrease demands for healthcare
- Serve as community hubs, increasing social cohesion, sense of community, and public safety
5. Improved Air Quality
- Plants on green roofs capture airborne pollutants, atmospheric deposition and also filter noxious gases
- Reduce demand on power plants and decrease the amount of CO2 and other polluting by-products
6. Energy Efficiency
- Reduce the amount of energy needed to moderate the temperature of a building
- Reduce the daily energy demand for air conditioning in the summer by over 75%
7. Stormwater Management
- Stored water is returned to the atmosphere through transpiration and evaporation
- Retain 70-90% of rainwater precipitation in summer + 25-40% in winter
- Moderate the temperature of the water and act as natural filters
- Reduce the amount and delay timing of stormwater runoff to decrease stress on sewer systems
8. Moderation of Urban Heat Island Effect
- Plants cool cities during hot summer and reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect
- Reduce the distribution of dust and particulate matter, as well as the production of smog
9. Increased Membrane Durability
- Decreases the exposure of waterproofing membranes to large temperature fluctuations, that can cause micro-tearing, and ultraviolet radiation
10. Increased Biodiversity
- Sustain a variety of plants, invertebrates, and various bird species and positively affect our Ecosystem, Economic and Social context
