Green Roofs' Benefits Detailed at Construction Industry Gathering

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LONDON, UK -- Installing
a green roof can dramatically reduce energy use and costs -- as well as
supporting biodiversity, reducing flooding and combating climate
change.

That was the message for delegates at an afternoon seminar
organized by CIRIA, the Construction Industry Research and Information
Association.

Firms that have installed green roofs have reported a 25 percent
reduction in energy use in the floor directly under the roofs, and
reduced usage at a lower percentage in other floors.

Dusty Gedge, co-founder of livingroofs.org, told delegates that City Hall in Chicago is one of many buildings that has found air conditioning is now largely unnecessary.

He said: "It takes until about 5pm for the floor under that roof to
heat up so it doesn't have to have air conditioning because at 5pm most
people go home."

But Mr. Gedge argued that more consideration of biodiversity has to
be given to green roofs, as many are created for aesthetic effect.

Steve Wilson, technical director of the Environmental Protection
Group (EPG), told delegates green roofs can play a large part in
creating sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).

He said, "Green roofs can help meet all the requirements of SUDS.
It will not necessarily do it on its own, but green roofs can be a very
important part of an overall sustainable drainage scheme."

Andrew Jones, strategy manager or biodiversity at the Greater
London Authority, said London has a policy on green roofs as part of
the London Plan, but this is not the case elsewhere in the U.K . -- a
situation which is preventing more green roof development.

He said: "A barrier that still exists at a national level is there
is no national policy framework that encourages the installation of
living roofs and walls. There's not many common standards that exist."

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