Green roofs are sprouting up

Excerpt

Green roofs are sprouting up across the United States and Canada, but green roof technology is considerably behind our European neighbors. In Germany, the industry reports 145 million square feet of green roofs constructed in 2001, up from 97 million square feet built in 1994. In the United States and Canada, the square footage of green roofs is going up say industry experts, but they don't have good numbers as to how much.

Green roofs—vegetated roof covers—help cities manage stormwater, improve water and air quality, mitigate heat, reduce energy costs, lengthen the life of the roof, and provide wildlife habitat. Do the conservation benefits of green roofs outweigh the barriers to their installation?

BARRIERS TO INSTALLATION

The number one barrier to installation of a green roof is simply lack of knowledge on the subject. North America does not have good quantifiable green roof technology data on the benefits they provide; which plants in which areas of the country are desirable, and installation directions that considers site-specific weather conditions. Without quantifiable data, government workers may not have the information needed to institute cost incentives, develop building code standards, or promote the green roof conservation practice. …