Environmental Benefits of Green Roof Systems
An individual is not as helpless as it may seem at a first glance when it comes to preservation of the environment and fighting the global warming. On the contrary, unless all people on the planet will not start to taking care for the environment it will not be possible to reverse the global warming. For that reason it is crucial to go green in all aspects of life including home building and roofing.
Green roof refers to covering the roof with various plants rather than the traditional waterproof materials. The first green roof systems were developed in Germany in the 1960’s but only in recent years they have become increasingly popular in other European countries and the United States due to financial as well as environmental benefits.
Unlike the early green roof systems that were very heavy and difficult to construct, the modern green roof systems are very easy to install and maintain on virtually every building including residential homes and tall skyscrapers as well as flat and slopped roofs. So far, green roof system remains more expensive than other roof covering methods but like other green and environmentally friendly technologies, green roofing is more cost-efficient in long term. But what is even more important is the fact that it is not only environmentally friendly but it even helps reduce air pollution and minimizes the heat island effect.
Plants help reduce air pollution because they absorb many harmful gases including carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Green roof systems therefore reduce air pollution and make the air cleaner and healthier, especially in urban areas where quality of air is a major problem. Few green roofs only are unable to improve air quality significantly in large city centers but if every roof would be covered with plants or even trees, people in urban centers would breath a much cleaner and healthier air. This would probably also result in decrease of numerous respiratory diseases that are linked to air pollution including asthma and even lung cancer.
In addition to absorbing air pollutants, plants tend to absorb the heat from the air which makes green roof systems a potential solution for the so-called heat island effect – metropolitan areas having higher temperatures than the surrounding rural areas. Green roofs have been shown to lower the temperatures in urban areas because the plants retain the heat and release it into the air when the temperatures drop. This also enables the building owners to reduce their costs for heating and cooling which is good for the environment too because most cooling and heating systems are powered by energy that is obtained from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels.
Larger buildings can easily accommodate full lawns and larger plants and even trees which provide additional green spaces in metropolitan areas. Since the so-called intensive green roof systems often mimic parks and include a variety of different plants they also offer a natural habitat to many local animal life including insects and birds that were virtually driven out from urban centers.
Absorption of rainwater is another major environmental benefit of green roof systems. Plants that cover the roof can absorb up to 75% of rainwater, depending on type of plants that have been used for roof covering. This significantly reduces the the amount of water that runs into sewage systems. In addition, the plants also filter many pollutants in rainwater including heavy metals. The rainwater that is absorbed by green roofs is then released into the air via condensation.
Except for few materials such as waterproof membrane to prevent leaking, green roof systems are made of all natural materials which means that green roof systems also significantly reduce waste pollution in case of repairs and replacements. In addition, green roofs are renowned for exceptional durability and with proper maintenance they can last up to 50 years.
Anything that is good for the environment is good for humankind as well and investment in green roof is therefore the best way to reduce the negative impact of humans on the environment when it comes to selection of the roofing system. And what is even better, the building owners with green roofs will significantly reduce their bills for heating and cooling because the soil and plants provide excellent thermal insulation.