Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020 - 9

Additionally, P.S. 41's green
roof has also made a positive
and significant impact on the
environment. Data from the
2019 Environmental Protection
Agency's Energy Star's Portfolio
Manager, an online building
energy monitoring tool, details a
32.70% decrease in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
a 27.80% reduction in Source
Energy Usage (EUI) that P.S.
41 consumes onsite from the
school's 2008 energy baseline.
In addition to reducing
the school's energy usage, the
green roof is advantageous for
reducing large quantities of
stormwater runoff because of its
expansive surface and absorptive
capacity. The 9,000 square feet
of vegetation can sequester
roughly 182,250 gallons of
stormwater annually, which
helps prevent the overburden
of New York City's combined

sewer overflow (CSO) systems.
School buildings account for
27 per cent of the city's total
municipal energy consumption
(New York City Department of
Education, 2018). Adding more
green roofs on schools will help
New York City meet its ambitious climate policy initiatives.
The year 2020 has been a
challenging time for education,
but it is essential to learn from
these challenges and make it a
transformative year. Educators
and Administrators alike want to
continue teaching and assisting
students, and the current education model option - inside, brick
and mortar - may not be available. Creating more green roofs
on school buildings has the
potential to allow for continued
educational opportunities while
providing for increased safety
measures. Green roofs increase
classroom space, reconnect

students with nature, and help support children's emotional needs.
Furthermore, when the weather is prohibitive, the green roof is
still providing substantial environmental benefits and cost savings
year-round.
This worldwide crisis has forced us to reconsider only educating
children inside an indoor classroom. Greening school rooftops is a
positive alternative that can have both direct and ancillary benefits
for future generations and the environment.
For more information
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
(2020) see Guidance for Reopening Schools. Environmental and Outdoor
Education: Key to Equitably Reopening Schools. North American Association for Environmental Education. https://cdn.naaee.org/sites/default/
files/eepro/resource/files/eeguidance_final_06302020.pdf
New York City Department of Education. (2017). New York City Department of Education Office of Sustainability Annual Report 2017- 2018.
New York City Department of Education. https://infohub.nyced.org/
docs/default-source/default-document-library/sustainability-annualreport-2017-2018.pdf
Vicki Sando is a STEM Teacher, Author and Green Roof Coordinator.
She founded P.S. 41's green roof and has represented the project in numerous media outlets, consulted on public school green roofs, and published a
children's book and curriculum about green roofs. Ms. Sando is also the
Education Chair for the New York City Green Roof Researchers Alliance.
vickisando.com & educationalgreenroofs.org. ps41.org

Photo courtesy V. Sando

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LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / FALL 2020 / 7

https://cdn.naaee.org/sites/default/files/eepro/resource/files/eeguidance_final_06302020.pdf https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/sustainability-annual-report-2017-2018.pdf http://www.vickisando.com http://www.educationalgreenroofs.org http://www.ps41.org http://www.chatfieldgreenroofing.com

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Fall 2020

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