Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008 - (Page 4)

FROM THE FOUNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE GROWTH The green roof industry is growing at an impressive 30 per cent per year – and that is without significant public policy investment along the lines of the recently announced tax abatement measure of US $4.50 per square foot for green roofs in New York City. The ability of green roofs to provide multiple public benefits, utilize often wasted private roof spaces and leverage required private re-roofing investments every 10-15 years, will continue to convince policymakers to support strategic public investments in these green technologies. Few public infrastructure benefits can match the myriad benefits provided by green roof investments – and imagine, we have only just begun. PROVEN VALUE ADDED Green buildings are, by all accounts, a superior product with green roofs delivering additional “Four dollars per square foot invested in green features will net building owners an average of $58 in operational savings over 20 years.” multiple credits under the LEED® system. According to research cited by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED® Class A office buildings generate US $11.24 per square foot more value than traditional buildings. On average, green buildings, compared to traditional buildings save 30 per cent on energy, reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 35 to 50 per cent and decrease waste costs by 50 to 90 per cent. In fact, four dollars for every square foot invested in green features will net building owners an average of US $58 in operational savings over 20 years. In the future, energy costs are likely to soar, given that we have passed or are about to reach so-called “peak oil.” In the future, CO2 may have even greater value, as efforts to mitigate climate change become more serious. All of these trends point to an ever-increasing economic advantage for technologies that reduce resource consumption. NEED FOR EFFICIENCY One of the natural responses to scarcity is improved system efficiency, and green roofs and other green building features not only deliver operational cost-savings, they can also improve efficiency in areas ranging from worker productivity to efficacy of healthcare. For example, studies show that the increased level of productivity for staff working in green office buildings range from two to 16 per cent, a huge cost savings for the majority of firms whose largest expenditure is on human capital. Green hospitals have also recorded patient check-out times 2.5 days earlier than average which has been attributed to healthier atmospheres that promote improved human mental and physical well-being. In green schools, students have been known to receive higher test scores than nongreen schools, and the list goes on. MULTIPLE BENEFITS Award-winning green roof projects always deliver multiple client benefits. They improve energy efficiency and can even reduce air conditioning costs by pre-cooling intake air. Similarly, green roofs also improve the efficiency of solar panels, allowing them to generate more electricity on hot days by cooling the surrounding ambient temperatures. Then there’s the issue of food production, which is slowly rising like the morning sun with tremendous promise to improve multiple dimensions of 4 LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR FALL

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008 Contents From the Founder: A Robust Economy Letters Strata - People, Products & Projects: Austin's Hotspot for Habitat & Baltimore Hilton Goes Green A Green Roof for a County Courthouse Research Grant for Design Tool On the Roof With... A New Vue on Downtown Open Space Sound Transmission Loss of Extensive Green Roofs On Target Optimizing for Sustainability First GRHC Green Roof Symposium in Florida Welcome New Corporate Members Professional Calendar Experts Reflect on the Value of the GRP

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.