Written by AZoBuildDec 29 2008
Background
Solar Roofs
Benefits of Solar Roofs
Cool Roofs
Benefits of Cool Roofs
Garden Roofs
Benefits of Garden Roofs
Background
Green Roofs and green roofing systems are rarely the colour green but are
part of a building that takes the environment into account to save money,
resources or both. Green roofs can be broken down into the categories of:
- Solar Roofs
- Cool Roofs
- Garden Roofs
Solar Roofs
Solar roofs harness the power of the sun to provide heating or electricity. A
solar roof can use special collector units to heat water for hot water within
the home or to warm swimming pools to extend the annual swimming season. The
other form of solar roof uses a roof mounted array of photovoltaic panels to
generate electricity. The electricity produce can be a stand alone unit that
powers juat the building it is mounted to or it may be connected to the power
grid where it will feed excess electricity.
Benefits of Solar Roofs
Solar or photovoltaic energy offers the following benefits:
- Fixed cost once system is installed
- In most areas can be grid attached and excess power sold with good return in
investment
- Highly reliable with low maintenance
- Silent and emissions free electricity generation
Cool Roofs
Cool roofs are the simplest form of green roof. Although all roofing
materials reflect a certain amount of heat, a cool roof is one that will both
reflect
the light and UV rays from the sun while retaining very little heat.
A cool roofs are made from materials that are highly reflective and highly
emissive. These properties are retained with little maintenance for the life of
the roof.
Benefits of Cool Roofs
The benefits of cool roofs include:
- Long life cycle
- Long warranties and low maintenance
- Reduction in heat absorption from urban areas
- Lower requirement for heating and air conditioning
- Recyclable and can be made from renewable resources
Garden Roofs
Garden roofs have various plants and vegetation growing on the roof of a
building. A garden roof will insulate the building below it while blending into
the surrounding environment, and depending on the plants used, may provide food
for the building occupants.
Benefits of Garden Roofs
Garden roof systems have the following benefits:
- Heat and sound insulation
- Energy conservation
- Reduction in heat absorption from urban areas
- Lower requirement for heating and air conditioning
- Control of stormwater runoff and erosion
- Improvement of water and air quality
- Increased service life of the roof
- Increased urban wildlife habitat
- Improved urban aesthetics
Source: AZoCleantech