A deep understanding of the implications of green roof retrofit is required amongst students and practitioners to make the decisions and take the actions needed to mitigate climate changes. Green Roof Retrofit: building urban resilience illustrates the processes undertaken to develop this new knowledge and thereby embed a deeper level of understanding in readers.Illustrative case studies and exemplars are drawn from countries outside of the core researched areas to demonstrate the application of the knowledge more broadly. Examples are used from the Americas (North and South and Canada), Oceania, Asia and other European countries.The book describes the multiple criteria which inform decision making and how this provides a way forward for making better decisions about green roof retrofit in different countries and climates.
For the do it yourself builder, an “essential guide . . . to install and maintain a beautiful and ecological compliment to your home or office” (Kelly Hart, author of Essential Earthbag Construction). Essential Green Roof Construction is a comprehensive, in-depth guide to building simple green roofs for houses and small buildings. Packed with detailed photos, illustrations, case studies, and code compliance advice, it offers clear step-by-step instructions necessary to create your own living roof on a new build or as a retrofit. This book includes: The benefits of a green roof The basics of planning and design Assessing site conditions such as aspect, slope, and loads Navigating building codes and working with building officials Material options, including professional grade and economical or local alternatives Planting suggestions for different roof climates and conditions, including food production When to call on professionals to ensure safety and integrity Step-by-step guidance for safe roof installation and detailing Annual green roof maintenance. Where common sense meets beauty—a green roof is a system of layers that work together to support plant life, insulate homes, and make the world a greener place. Essential Green Roof Construction will give you the knowledge and confidence to install your own green roof. “Impressive . . . and, importantly, easy for the average person to understand.” —Stephen Hill, associate professor, School of the Environment, Trent University “Well-written, well-researched, and full of clear and informative drawings and photos.” —Lloyd Kahn, editor-in-chief, Shelter Publications, author, Shelter and The Half-Acre Homestead “An excellent resource for both DIY and design professionals.” —Tim Krahn, P. Eng. Building Alternatives Inc., author, Essential Rammed Earth Construction
Paraphrasing an old adage, anything worth doing, will be hard to accomplish. And so it is with retrofitting an existing building with a "green roof." This paper presents a case history of funding, designing, and installing a vegetated green roof on the existing Public Service Building in Battle Creek, Michigan. Funding for the project included a grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well as capital investment made by the City. The State grant was tied to an Environmental Science and Services Division Grant, for a Storm Water Runoff Control Project. The paper discusses latent conditions encountered in the existing facility and other challenges overcome in the construction process. The end result of the project is a sustainable roofing system that was certainly worth doing right. In fact, the project is a 2006 recipient of the American Public Works Association national award for projects under two million dollars.
A deep understanding of the implications of green roof retrofit is required amongst students and practitioners to make the decisions and take the actions needed to mitigate climate changes. Green Roof Retrofit: building urban resilience illustrates the processes undertaken to develop this new knowledge and thereby embed a deeper level of understanding in readers.Illustrative case studies and exemplars are drawn from countries outside of the core researched areas to demonstrate the application of the knowledge more broadly. Examples are used from the Americas (North and South and Canada), Oceania, Asia and other European countries.The book describes the multiple criteria which inform decision making and how this provides a way forward for making better decisions about green roof retrofit in different countries and climates.
Until now, the green roof movement has been limited to large-scale, professional endeavors and public buildings. But homeowners everywhere are catching onto the benefits of a green roof—water conservation, energy savings, and storm water management. In Small Green Roofs authors Dunnett, Gedge, Little, and Snodgrass profile ordinary homeowners who scaled green roofs down to the domestic level. Small Green Roofs is the first book to focus on small-scale and domestic green roofs. More than forty profiles of small and domestic-scale projects of all shapes and sizes include green roofs on sheds, garden offices, studios, garages, houses, bicycle sheds, and other small structures, as well as several community projects. For each project, details are given for design, construction, and installation, as well as how-to tips on how the roof was planted and cared for. For readers looking for inspiration when hiring a contractor or taking the adventurous step of building their own, Small Green Roofs provides the knowledge and encouragement to make it possible.
A Complete Guide to Building and Maintaining Green Roofs Written by an industry expert in green roof design and installation, this GreenSource book presents all of the information you need to skillfully design, construct, and maintain green roofs. You will find a wealth of practical details gathered through real-world implementations and independent research. Green Roof Construction and Maintenance explains how to design a green roof, plan for irrigation and drainage, select and place soil and plants, and maintain the entire setup. The book also discusses return on investment, LEED design specifications, and the myriad short- and long-term environmental benefits of green roofs. Filled with step-by-step illustrations and full-color photographs, this is a valuable, hands-on guide to a rapidly emerging trend in the sustainability movement. Green Roof Construction and Maintenance includes: Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design Construction methods for new and existing buildings Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection Details on optimal soil formulation Illustrations featuring various stages of construction Best practices for green roof maintenance A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality Tips on the LEED design and certification process Considerations for assessing return on investment Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs Useful checklists, tables, and charts
Examine possibilities for city-wide green roof development using 335 color photographs, 40 in-depth building case studies, and 7 municipal case studies of Berlin, Tokyo, London, Portland, Chicago, Toronto, and New York. This book includes an opening essay by William McDonough, an architect and leader of the sustainable development movement, and details the ecological benefits, technical requirements, architectural history, and design possibilities of vegetated rooftops.
Biosolar roofing is an integrated roofing approach aimed to lower the 40% energy expenditure coming from the building sector. However, photovoltaic panel energy efficiency varies and panel arrangements creating sun and shade conditions will impact any existing plant community. For existing buildings, preparing for the replacement of a conventional roof or green roofs with a biosolar roofing system can offer a next generation energy solution if energy savings and vegetation opportunities can be projected. Studies have shown that photovoltaic panels increase electricity production by 2-6% due to cooling effects of evapotranspiration (Kaewpraek et al., 2021). In this study an existing semi-intensive sedum-based roof system is modelled for PV retrofit to determine beneficial synergies. This research uses a mixed methods approach of field gathered plant community data and computational analysis for energy modelling with BEM software Honeybee and EnergyPlus. The building was modeled and calibrated which showed that the green roof positively affects the building's energy performance and that adding shading above the green roof would not negatively affect the energy performance. Through four scenarios to determine the relative maximum energy production when retrofitted with PV panels and found a 32.4% energy offset for the building. However, a method to examine the increase in PV panel output when combined with a green roof was not achieved. Modeling and simulations still do not meet field study values and need to be developed further for more practical use. The plant of sun and shade roofs were categorized under by high, medium, and low insolation levels in (kWh/m2/year). In relationship to the light levels, a sedum community is adapted with locally collected green roof shade plant data and augmented with secondary publications. Presented here are the outcomes from the field studies which showed that height is not a great indicator of difference between the two plant communities due to the presence of volunteer species. However, the planted species of each community do have a difference and can be used for determining plant selection. Species richness is also a good characteristic that can describe the distinctions between the sites. From the existing plants found, 59% of the species would be able to adjust to biosolar applications. The outcome of this study will result in better practices for biosolar roof retrofitting for photovoltaic systems and plant selection guidelines in northeast Ohio.
