Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2010 - (Page 4)

STRATA CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION IN ROOFING RECEIVES $750,000 FUNDING FOR ROOFPOINT RATING SYSTEM T he Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress (Alliance) will provide $750,000 in funding over the next three years to support the ongoing development and public launch of RoofPoint™ – a LEED-like program for roofing – being developed by the Centre for Environmental Innovation in Roofing. The Alliance is an endowment fund within the National Roofing Foundation, a separate but related organization set up by the National Roofing Contractors Association to undertake educational and research projects related to roofing. Based in Washington, D.C., the Centre for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR) is dedicated to promoting the development and use of environmentally responsible roof systems. It also aims to provide both public information for roofing, energy and the environment as well as a unified industry voice for change. To date, the CEIR has facilitated the creation of a RoofPoint LS Guideline for Environmentally Innovative Low SlopeRoofing Systems. The lowslope roofing market is estimated to represent approximately one billion square feet in new roofing, with another three billion for re-reroofing. Like LEED, the LS RoofPoint for Low-Slope Roofing would offer a series of potential credits to be earned in several broad categories including energy, materials and water management as well as innovation in roofing. “Although RoofPoint recognizes a broad array of sustainable roofing strategies, green or vegetated roofing systems will provide a com- pelling alternative within the rating structure,” says Dr. James Hoff, research director, CEIR. “Because green or vegetated roofs contribute synergistically within all key categories of the RoofPoint energy, water, materials and lifecycle they will contribute to nearly a quarter of the points available in the rating system. This level of point contribution is much higher than similar weightings in most whole-building rating systems." A draft of the Guideline closed for comment on April 15th with a revised RoofPoint draft to be prepared by June 1, 2010. LEARN MORE To learn more about RoofPoint, visit the website set up by CEIR at www.roofpoint.wikispaces.com ROOFING INDUSTRY RESEARCH SUMMIT IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION LEADS TO FORMATION OF FIVE TASK GROUPS FOCUSED ON KEY INDUSTRY ISSUES Dr. Richard Côté I 4 n May 2009, the Roof Consultant Institute Foundation (RCIF) sponsored a Roofing Industry Research Summit in Washington D.C. Among the key objectives of the Summit were to “[i]dentify the critical research questions and topics needed to address these opportunities and risks.” During the sessions, attended by delegates from key industry associations and organizations across the roofing industry, five themes emerged. The official report from that Summit was presented at the RCI 25th International Convention and Trade Show held in Orlando, Florida in March 2010 and is highlighted here: 1) The roof as a multidisciplinary platform Past roofing research efforts did not fully LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR anticipate the green and sustainable building movement and the rapid growth of new environmentally responsive roofing systems, such as cool roofs and green roofs. In addition, previous research strategies were developed prior to the emergence of rooftop energy systems, such as photovoltaic and wind power systems. Therefore, roofing research objectives need to be re-evaluated, taking into consideration technological advances and social concerns. As energy needs grow, the countries are looking to the existing roofing stock as a solution for deploying new technologies. As a result, new roofs are increasingly being used as platforms for a variety of functions that they have not necessarily been designed to accommodate. Modern roofs are becoming prime real estate shared by multidisciplinary teams. 2) New building demands The push toward more energy efficient buildings and the introduction of new energy codes may require a significant increase in the in-situ investigation of new roofing and building systems to validate performance. As a result, there is a need for the development and validation of roofing models capturing all of the necessary performance parameters. New models should include emerging systems such as green roofs and renewable energy options and examine their impact on roofing system performance and contribution to sustainable construction. 3) Roof-system durability Traditional approaches for defining and measuring roof-system durability may not be adequate when new demands, new technologies and new products are rapidly being introduced into the market. The development and implementation of a durability assessment protocol for roof systems combining historical in situ performance data, smallscale testing, and predictive modeling is required. The development of performance criteria for a roof should aim to a minimum 50-year expected service life, including repairability and retention of key properties over the lifetime of the roof. SPRING 2010 http://www.roofpoint.wikispaces.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2010

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2010
Contents
From the Founder
Letters
Strata
Roofing Industry Research Summit
New LAM Editorial Advisory Board Kicks Off
On the Roof With Steve Windhager
Green Philly
Taking the Pulse
Greening the Green Roof System
More Bees, Please!
Dampening Green Roof Fire Risk
New Online Tools for Green Roof and Wall Professionals
New Corporate Members
New GRPS
GHRC Professional Development Calendar
Building Green Together

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2010