As our
summers become increasingly hot for longer periods people will be looking to a
range of strategies in order to stay cool in their homes and workplaces. One such strategy, already being widely used
in other parts of the world including Germany, Austria and Singapore, is green
or “living” roofs, roofs on which grasses, flowers or small shrubs are growing.
Such
roofs have a long history. In Viking
days turf-covered roofs in Scandinavia provided effective insulation from the
cold. But these roofs are also effective in insulating buildings from heat.
Modern
living roofscapes depend on a series of carefully designed layers which protect
the roof and ensure that rainwater is filtered and drained and that the plants
growing there can thrive.
The
conventional roof serves a sole purpose – protecting the building and its
inhabitants from the elements. In doing that it takes a beating from sun, wind,
rain – and, in colder climates, snow. On a hot day temperatures on conventional
roofs, particularly dark-coloured roofs, are much higher than the surrounding
air. This makes it more difficult to
cool the air in the building below. In
addition the hot roof contributes to the urban heat island effect.
Up-front
costs for green roofs are higher than for conventional roofs and some
maintenance is required.
However,
there are substantial benefits from these roofs. As the soil and vegetation act as living
insulation, the building’s internal temperatures are moderated – so it is cooler
in summer and warmer in winter. Less energy is needed for cooling or heating
which means both greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs are lower. Other benefits include reduction of rainwater
runoff, filtering of air pollution by the plants, support for biodiversity
within an urban landscape and reducing the urban heat island effect.
A
different roof strategy involves the development of cool roofs – roofs which
use of reflection to send solar energy back into space. A variety of forms has
been developed including light-coloured metal, shingles, tiles, coatings and
membranes. In an increasingly warming
world sending solar energy back into space rather than absorbing it is
essential.
-
Leonie Blain
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on January 21, 2019.
