The First Facility Management Blog

Onset Computer Corporation, maker of HOBO® data loggers, has made available a white paper that provides guidance and tips on how data logging weather stations can be used to monitor green roof performance. The document –”Monitoring Green Roof Performance with Weather Stations”– discusses a range of monitoring applications that can help satisfy requirements for LEED Certification credits, such as stormwater management performance documentation.

Interested parties can access the white paper at www.onsetcomp.com/greenroofs. Basic contact information is required to access the download.

About Onset Computer Corporation
Located in Bourne, MA, Onset as been producing small, inexpensive, battery-powered data loggers and embedded controllers since 1981, and has sold over 1,000,000 loggers that are used throughout the world by over 50,000 customers. The company manufactures a broad range of data logger and weather station products that are used to measure temperature, humidity, light intensity, voltage, and a broad range of other parameters. Onset products are used in a wide range of research, commercial, industrial, and educational applications.

With the growth of the green roofing industry, some trends can now be identified. For instance, many early Green roof installations from five or six years ago involved building owners and developers who were very familiar with the technology and had a good understanding of the installation and care of a Green roof.

However, this is not necessarily the case today. Many of today’s building owners and developers know only about the many benefits and features of a Green roof and little else. According to Jim Lindell, National Marketing Manager for GreenGrid Green roofs, the following are some of the most common questions—and answers—about
Green roofs.

How often do we need to weed and water it?
For the most part, extensive (shallow and the most common) Green roof systems are designed to require little maintenance, according to Lindell. During the first two to three months, it may need irrigation and some weeding. After that, most facilities just need to “patrol” the Green roof to see that all is going well.

Will it cause my roof to leak?
If properly installed by a reputable company, no, the roof should not leak. Some Green roof systems built directly on the roof may require a new waterproofing membrane, drainage system, and/or other materials be placed over the existing roof before the Green roof is installed. “With a modular system, the modules often may be placed directly on the existing roof surface,” says Lindell, “and the green roof actually helps protect the roof and prevent leaks.”

Can I place a Green roof on any building?
Although some Green roofing systems are lighter than others, building owners should always have their roofs examined by a building engineer to verify the integrity of the existing roof and determine if it can support the added weight of a Green roof.

Will it improve my building’s value?
“It is too early to tell, but early indications are that many of the improvements to a facility that help make it Greener, more sustainable, and help reduce operating costs are proving to increase a building’s value,” says Lindell.

Will it really save me money?
More and more studies report that Green roofs can help cut energy costs because they help reduce heating and cooling needs. And without question, they extend the life of the existing roof, which can save facility huge sums of money.

Lindell adds that some cities offer tax credits to building owners, who install Green roofs. And, other cities are offering contractors “fast approvals,” which can also save owners and developers a considerable sum. Additionally, some owners can save on storm water runoff fees because the Green roof captures and helps retain a great deal of the runoff.

It is estimated that the city of New York handles as much as 40 billion gallons of sewage and storm water every year. Because of the challenge in handling this huge volume, it is not unusual for large amounts to flow into untreated into nearby streams and rivers, making storm water runoff an especially difficult problem.

At one time New York was considering building a huge underground storage chamber just to hold millions of gallons of storm water to relieve the strain on treatment facilities. However, that plan was scrapped when it was determined it would provide only “limited benefits” at best.

Last year, the environmental group Sustainable South Bronx (SSB) came up with another idea to help reduce storm water runoff. They installed a Green roof atop the sprawling American Banknote Building located in the Bronx following studies by the University of Wisconsin that found a Green roof can help reduce storm water runoff by as much as 75%.

When it came to selecting a Green roof for the building, SSB looked at the many systems and products available and found one that best met their needs and budget and could be installed quickly: the GreenGrid modular Green roof system from Weston Solutions, Inc.

With the GreenGrid system, plant and growth media are preplanted into modules made of 100% recycled plastic. The modules are then placed atop the roof, one after another. And installation is fast. As much as 4,000 square feet can be installed in an hour.

“Green roofs are an emerging science and art,” says a spokesperson for SSB. “Green roofs, can [help us] deal with storm water nature’s way.”

“Who ever thought our roofer would turn out to be a botanist,” says Randy Didier, Environmental Management Division chief at Tobyhanna Army Depot, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. But that’s exactly what happened when a Green roof was installed on one wing of the Depot’s headquarters.

Didier, worked alongside Mike Parrent, the Depot’s pollution prevention program manager, searching for ways to make the Depot more energy efficient. One idea that kept floating to the top, quite literally, was to install a Green roof.

But before submitting a Green roof proposal to the Army’s Joint Services, the two did extensive research on Green roof technology and decided to use the GreenGrid® modular Green roof system from Weston Solutions, Inc.

With this system, soil and vegetation are pre-planted in 10% recycled plastic modules. The modules are then laid out atop the existing roof with as much as 4,000 square feet installed in a day.

Once Parrent and Didier were given the green light, 14,000 square feet of Green roof was installed during the summer of 2006. This installation required 1,500 modules, each filled with sixteen hearty sedum perennials in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

The team is still gathering data and calculating how much energy the GreenGrid Green Roof system will save. In the mean time, Didier says, “Our research suggests we can expect a 30% reduction in energy costs down the road. Anytime you can save the government money [by] cutting back on energy consumption, especially in this day and age, it’s a benefit to all parties involved.”

In September 2000, Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley launched a new program, The Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative, to preserve this very distinctive housing style.

Bungalows, found throughout the city, were the most desirable and sought-after homes when they were constructed between 1910 and 1940. Made of solid brick, these typically three bedroom homes were 125 feet from front to back but only 30 to 35 feet wide, which allowed many to be built per block. Today, as many as one-third of all the single-family homes in Chicago are still bungalows.

In 2002, several bungalow owners gathered to find ways to make their homes more environmentally responsible. Because of these meetings, the owners and the city were able to secure loans and grants to rehabilitate four bungalows, installing a wealth of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products into the homes.

However, one Green item remained elusive. The owners and the city wanted to install Green roofs on the bungalows, but the high costs were prohibitive. They ultimately choose GreenGrid Green Roofs. This system may be less expensive because the company installs modular Green roofs, in which soil and vegetation are preplanted into modules made of 100% recycled plastic and then simply laid out atop the existing roof.

This type of modular system may reduce labor costs and cut down on installation time. In fact, GreenGrid was able to install the Green roof in just one day—just in time for the grand opening tour held on the following day, making it an “instant” Green roof by all accounts.

A recent study of facility managers found that many were well versed as to what a green roof was and what some of its benefits were. For instance, when asked what impact the vegetation on a green roof has on air quality, nearly 70% indicated that “it helps filter dust and dust particulates from the air,” which studies show is correct.

However, in other cases, the majority of their answers were simply not correct. Approximately 7% answered that they thought green roofs actually harmed indoor air quality. On the contrary, like most vegetation, the plants on a green roof absorb pollutants from the air and release oxygen.

Respondents were also asked what effect green roofs have on outdoor air temperatures. Seventeen percent said they have “little or no effect.” This is incorrect, studies show. Instead, one of the proven benefits of green roof systems is that they help reduce the “urban heat island” effect–the reason inner cities and large downtown areas are considerably warmer than outlying, forested areas.

Some of the other questions in the survey and their answers included these:
• Forty-one percent thought the most significant benefit of a green roof was energy savings. Although they do help “insulate” a facility, which does reduce energy costs, the key benefit of a green roof is their ability to reduce stormwater runoff.
• As to costs, more than 70% of the respondents were aware that a modular green roof, where plants are preplanted in modules that are placed atop the existing roof, tends to be less expensive than a built-in-place system constructed directly on the roof.
• Nearly 60% of the respondents believed a green roof increased the value of a property, whereas about 40% believed the technology is too new to affect property values. Green roofs are recognized as a property improvement and can increase property values.
• Similarly, only 30% believed a green roof increased the life cycle of the existing roof, while the other respondents believed it had little impact. In actuality, studies find that green roofs can double the life expectancy of the existing roof.
• Less than a third of the respondents knew that a green roof can contribute seven points or more toward LEED certification. Most of the other respondents believed it was five points or less or that it was not part of the LEED accreditation evaluation.

Finally, the facility managers were asked what U.S. city has the most green roofs installed. Most respondents were sure it was either Portland, OR, or Seattle, WA. However, the city with the most green roofs installed, by a fairly wide margin, is Chicago, IL. Chicago has two million square feet of green roofs installed, including one on its City Hall.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) announces ‘Green Wall 101: Introduction to Systems and Design.’ This first of its kind course was launched on May 2, 2007 at GRHC’s Fifth Annual International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Tradeshow.

Green walls, like the popular green roofs, use various technologies to anchor plants and irrigation to the sides of buildings. The benefits of green walls include reducing the heat island effect, cooling ambient temperatures, protecting the structure from ultra-violet rays, improving energy savings, reducing noise pollution, filtering air pollutants, and improving the aesthetics of buildings.

“Green wall technologies have tremendous untapped potential to improve the health and environment in our North American cities and to reduce green house gases significantly. The new Green Wall Course brings together the best knowledge and expertise in the field today and will help accelerate the growth of this fledgling industry,” said Steven Peck, President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

The new course will features technologies from Jakob USA, Carl Stahl DecorCable, Inc, greenscreen ®, and Elevated Landscape Technologies. Green walls contribute to multiple LEED® Credits a program of the US and Canadian Green Building Councils.

For additional information on Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, course or the upcoming conference, visit this link.

Recently, one of the largest jansan manufacturers in the world conducted an online survey regarding Green roofs. The survey was included in a monthly newsletter published by the company and distributed to more than 2,500 facility managers throughout the United States.

The survey found that many facility managers are well versed as to what a Green roof is and what some of its benefits are. However, in other cases, the majority of their answers were simply not correct.

For instance, when asked what impact the vegetation on a Green roof has on air quality, nearly 70% indicated that “it helps filter dust and dust particulates from the air,” which studies show is correct.

Approximately 7% answered that they thought Green roofs actually harm indoor air quality. On the contrary, like most vegetation, the plants on a Green roof absorb pollutants from the air and release oxygen.

Respondents were also asked what effect Green roofs have on outdoor air temperatures. Seventeen percent said they have “little or no effect.” This is incorrect, studies show. Instead, one of the proven benefits of Green roof systems is that they help reduce the “urban heat island” effect–the reason inner cities and large downtown areas are considerably warmer than outlying, forested areas.

Some of the other questions in the survey and their answers included these:

• Forty-one percent thought the most significant benefit of a Green roof is energy savings. Although they do help “insulate” a facility, which does reduce energy costs, the key benefit of a Green roof is their ability to reduce stormwater runoff.

• As to costs, more than 70% of the respondents were aware that a modular Green roof, where plants are preplanted in modules that are placed atop the existing roof, tends to be less expensive than a built-in-place system constructed directly on the roof.

• Nearly 60% of the respondents believed a Green roof increases the value of a property, whereas about 40% believed the technology is too new to affect property values. Green roofs are recognized as a property improvement and can increase property values.

• Similarly, only 30% believed a Green roof increases the life cycle of the existing roof, while the other respondents believed it has little impact. In actuality, studies find that Green roofs can double the life expectancy of the existing roof.

• Less than a third of the respondents knew that a Green roof can contribute seven points or more toward LEED certification. Most of the other respondents believed it was five points or less or that it was not part of the LEED accreditation evaluation.

Finally, the facility managers were asked what U.S. city has the most Green roofs installed. Most respondents were sure it was either Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, Washington. However, the city with the most Green roofs installed, by a fairly wide margin, is Chicago, Illinois. With two million square feet of Green roofs installed, including one on their City Hall, it appears Chicago may have to do a bit more boasting about how Green the city is becoming.