Green Roof Benefits - Energy Savings by reducing surface temperature!

Because green roofs reduce the surface temperature of a roof by minimizing heat-absorbing surfaces, a green roof helps to reduce energy costs inside the building as well, for businesses in South Florida. For example, on a 90-degree day, while a blacktop roof surface can be as hot as 160 degrees, a typical green roof temperature will only be 95 degrees.

A green roof helps to protect roof membranes from extreme temperature fluctuations and the negative impact of ultraviolet radiation. A TectaGreen™ green roof can double the life span of a conventional roof. With proper maintenance you can protect your businesses in South Florida and prolonging the life of your roof.

The urban heat island is the overheating of urban and suburban areas, relative to the surrounding countryside, due to increased paved, built-over, and hard surface areas. Aver-age summer temperatures in major cities across North America have been on the rise over the past decade. These artificially high summer temperatures have a range of direct and indirect negative impacts on our quality of life. The urban heat island effect increases the use of more electricity for air conditioners and it increases the rate at which chemical processes generate pollutants such as ground level ozone. It also exacerbates heat-related illnesses. Green Roofs intercept the solar radiation that would strike dark roof surfaces and be converted into heat thereby improving energy conservation. Like urban forests and reflective roofing surfaces they absorb and/or deflect solar radiation so that it does not produce heat. An ASHRAE simulation conducted by the City of Chicago of their City Hall Green Roof showed that every one degree Fahrenheit decrease in ambient air temperature results in a 1.2% drop in cooling energy use. The study suggests that if, over a period of ten years or more, all of the buildings in Chicago were retrofitted with Green Roofs, (30% of the total land area), this would yield savings of $ 100,000,000 annually from reduced cooling load requirements in all of the buildings in Chicago. The cooling would also slow the chemical processes that produce ground level ozone, nitrous oxides and smog, and help offset the production of sulphur dioxides from coal fired utilities.

The Environmental Protection Agency defines an urban heat island (UHI) as a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surroundings. On hot summer days, urban air can be 2-10°F [2-6°C] hotter than the surrounding countryside. Green roofs for businesses in South Florida, can work to reduce urban heat islands, minimize heat-absorbing surfaces, provide improved air quality, as wellhelp with storm water retention and filtration.

Green Roofs can be designed for exceptional storm water retention capability. The plants capture and hold rainwater. Water stored in the growing media is released through evaporation and evapo-transpiration. Storm water retention rates are determined by saturated infiltration capacity, thickness of the growing media, field capacity, porosity, under-drainage layer water retention and flow, and relief drain spacing. Where jurisdictions demand lot-level storm water charges, zero runoff policies, or a requirement for storm water management ponds, this ability to retain storm water may result in direct and indirect financial incentives.

Green Roofs also filter out fine, airborne particulate matter as the air passes over the plants. Airborne particulates tend to get trapped in the surface areas of the greenery. Rains wash it into the growing medium below. Plants also absorb gaseous pollutants through photosynthesis and sequester them in their leaves. Studies show that tree-lined urban streets have 10 - 15% fewer dust particles than found than similar streets without trees.
 
By creating a functional and aesthetic environment, all TectaGreen green roofs provide visual appeal for businesses in Palm Beach County, Broward and Dade County - South Florida. However, an intensive green roof system, trees and shrubs can be included as well as other larger plants in a wider variety. This green space is often an inviting and well-utilized area providing a green respite in an urban setting.

By protecting roof membranes from extreme temperature fluctuations and ultraviolet radiation, a TectaGreen™ green roof can double the life span of a conventional roof, and provide energy savings by reducing heating and cooling costs. TectaGreen can also improve site utilization by reducing the impervious surface area of a building to increase potential square footage for construction. And, because TectaGreen conforms to the rigorous Green Building Rating System standards created by the U.S. Green Building Council there are inherent savings including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for tax benefits. The LEED program was created to provide a national standard for the building industry. The TectaGreen system contributes directly towards a maximum of 3 points. These points generate tax credit in many states, including Florida.