THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

February 23, 2009 on 12:13 am | In Act Locally, Global Statistics, Green Building, Green Cities, Green Houses, Green Workplace, Solutions, Statistics, Trends, Uncategorized |

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

by Jodi Summers

 

Green is still good. The latest government motivation is toward green roof installations.

Among the benefits of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) introduced by Sen. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) is to provide financial incentives for homeowners or commercial building owners which chose to install green roofs on their buildings.

A green (or sod) roof features of vegetation-usually drought-tolerant plants, or shrubs-that is planted in a growth medium. The roof generally involves a multilayer system of waterproof and root-repellent membranes, a drainage system, filter cloth, and lightweight soil.

Sedums are a suggest plant, as the 400+ varieties range from annuals and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves.

Green roofs have been around for thousands of years. One of the first notable appearances of green roofs occurred in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 500 BC. The site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The thrust of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 is to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments.

Section 506 of the bill, offers property owners a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof expenses. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects, but it requires that at least 50 percent of the roof area be covered with vegetation.

“This is a watershed moment for the green roof industry,” observes Steven W. Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which worked with the American Society of Landscape Architects to help Sen. Cantwell’s office draft the section of the bill that is focused on the green roof incentive. “This bill will deliver an enormous number of green collar jobs, not just today, but also in five years from now, while also saving energy, improving stormwater management, cooling cities, cleansing the air, and

beautifying our rooftops.”

Modern green roofs trends began in Germany in the 1960s; today, it is estimated that about 10% of all German roofs have been “greened.” Several European Countries have very active associations promoting green roofs including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. The City of Linz in Austria has been paying developers to install green roofs since 1983 and in Switzerland it has been a Federal law since the late 1990s. In the UK their up-take has been slow but a number of cities have developed policies to encourage their use, notably in London and Sheffield.

 

Green roof advocates note a variety of benefits for property owners, including added insulation and cooling. It has been found that they can retain up to 75% of rainwater, gradually releasing it back into the atmosphere via condensation and transpiration, while retaining pollutants in their soil.

“If you install enough in an area, it cools the area, which saves money in energy costs and limits greenhouse gas,” offers Peck.

 

Cities like Los Angeles can truly benefit from the cooling effect, as green roofs reduce the “heat island effect,” a situation in which traditional building materials such as asphalt roofs in a city-absorb sunlight and radiate it back into the atmosphere as heat, making cities at least 4 degrees Celsius (7 °F) hotter than surrounding areas.

The new California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a green roof that provides 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of native vegetation designed as a habitat for indigenous species, including the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly. According to the Academy’s fact sheet on the building, the building consumes 30-35% less energy than required by code.

Green roofs have also been found to dramatically improve a roof’s insulation value. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used. In addition, greening a roof is expected to lengthen a roof’s lifespan by two or three times, according to Penn State University’s Green Roof Research Center.

Another upside of green roofs is added local employment, as green roof installations tend to be local projects. “For every dollar spent, the $2 or $3 generated goes toward creating jobs where the roof is installed,” he boasts.

Sen. Cantwell noted this benefit as well in a statement introducing the bill. “In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’ debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” she said. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”

Builder magazine reports that, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has launched a new, multi-disciplinary Green Roof Professional (GRP) program–much like U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Professional Accreditation-and will administer the first exam at its annual conference this June in Atlanta. Under the program, an individual can become GRP-accredited to provide green roof design, products, and installation services to meet the new demands that potentially could be generated from this bill.

 

American landscape architects and a Canadian nonprofit green roof industry association says that the United States could see a surge in green roof installations if a provision in a recently introduced Senate stimulus bill becomes law.

Information from:

http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/financial-incentives-in-stimulus

http://egrfaculty.villanova.edu/public/Civil_Environmental/WREE/VUSP_Web_Folder/GR_web_folder/GR_paper_files/image002.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/iruss001/architecture/green_roof.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_roof

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/calroof3.jpg

http://www.localecology.org/images/deyoung_casgreenroof.jpg

http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/green_roof.jpg

http://www.lotuslive.org/buildings/files/norwaygreenroof.png

28 Comments »

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  1. Do you do blogroll exchanging? If you want to exchange links let me know.

    Email me back if you’re interested.

    Comment by Mike Harmon — February 23, 2009 #

  2. I just stopped by your blog and thought I would say hello. I like your site design. Looking forward to reading more down the road.

    Comment by Stacey Derbinshire — February 23, 2009 #

  3. I love this concept and the fact that you are starting to see more and more installations of this kind. I’ve always wondered if we reach a certain level of green roof installation if the temperature of cities will go down and they won’t retain as much heat once all of those black roofs are gone.

    I didn’t realize that LEED is going to offer a green roof accreditation. We will need to add that to the LEED portion of the directory at http://www.greencollareconomy.com

    Comment by Kevin Gulley — February 23, 2009 #

  4. Thanks for the great post. If you want more resources for green construction and development we have a huge directory and an updated news feed at http://www.greencollareconomy.com

    Comment by Sean Keller — February 23, 2009 #

  5. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, aka the stimulus bill, will create a nationally managed, regionally executed program management office to support regional teams delivering the projects. The Act also directs $750 million to renovate and construct federal buildings and courthouses, $300 million to renovate and construct land ports of entry and $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings to high-performance green buildings.

    Comment by Erika Morphy — February 23, 2009 #

  6. Once a primary destination for Americans, L.A.–along with places like Detroit, New York and Chicago–now suffers among the highest rates of out-migration in the country. Particularly hard hit has been its base of middle-class families, which continues to shrink. This is painfully evident in places like the San Fernando Valley, where I live, long a middle-class outpost for L.A., much like Queens and Staten Island are for New York.

    Comment by Joel Kotkin — February 27, 2009 #

  7. The founder of the U.S. Green Building Council says he is living in the greenest house in America.

    David Gottfried’s renovated 1915 Craftsman bungalow earned the LEED for Homes Platinum designation after scoring more points for the green building certification than any other home in the country late last year. The house earned 106.5 points out of a possible 136; it needed 80 for a Platinum certification.

    The 1,440-square-foot home, located in Oakland, Calif.’s Rockridge neighborhood, is Gottfried’s effort to prove that “green is beautiful,” he says, and to showcase energy and water efficiency and green materials in a small house in a walkable neighborhood.

    Comment by Sharon O'Malley — March 5, 2009 #

  8. Philip Carey’s Codding Cottage is the first LEED Platinum home in Sarasota County, Florida. Platinum certification was not Carey’s intention when he decided to build his 2,914-square-foot residence, with its separate 413-foot carriage house-home office in downtown Sarasota.

    Carey envisioned a home that would leave a minimal footprint and fit right in with the neighborhood’s architecture. At the same time, it would be thoroughly high-tech, comfortable and—above all—energy efficient. “I have a particular interest in energy management, and the aspects of green building involving energy conversation appealed to me. The rest just happened.”

    Comment by Carol Tisch — March 6, 2009 #

  9. Share your favorite green business!
    ________________________________________
    We’re always adding new listings to our Business Directory, so if you don’t find it here, we would love to hear about a favorite green business in YOUR neighborhood. We’re also excited about Greenopia’s expansion now offering our readers online listings in more than 50 U.S. cities! So if you have a favorite green place to shop or dine outside of Los Angeles, tell us about it, or forward this newsletter to a friend who can suggest a favorite local green business in their hometown.

    Suggest a business or organization at Greenopia.com!

    Comment by Greenopia LA — March 7, 2009 #

  10. the archetypal green city is Curitiba, Brazil. When architect and urban planner Jamie Lerner became mayor in 1972, he quickly closed six blocks of the city’s central business district to cars, delighting residents and business owners alike. Today the pedestrian-free zone is three times larger and serves as the heart of the bustling metropolis. Lerner also put in place a high-tech bus system, greatly reducing traffic, energy usage and pollution; the move also encouraged density around transit hubs and thus preserved open space in other areas that would have likely turned into suburbia. Today the bus system still goes strong, and three-quarters of the city’s 2.2 million residents rely on it every day.

    Comment by AmericanTowns.com — March 9, 2009 #

  11. There’s at least one in every neighborhood, and no I’m not talking about “that house” that is painted fuchsia or sea foam green. Or (gasp) both.
    I’m talking about a once-great older or historic building that today sits vacant and perhaps forgotten.
    On the struggling-to-survive main drag of my Washington, D.C. neighborhood, there are more than a handful of empty storefronts that have seen better days that I - as a newbie to the area - wish I could have witnessed. Today, their doors are tightly handcuffed with padlocks, their paint is faded and peeling, and their floor-to-ceiling show windows bear cracks and holes that look more like bruises and black eyes.
    A constant daydreamer, I can’t count the number of times that I’ve nearly rear-ended a city bus or been on the receiving end of a pedestrian’s angry hand gesture (which I deserved), all because I was totally lost in Preservation La La Land. In fact, I’m sure the day will soon come when my response to getting pulled over for a routine traffic violation will be, “Sorry officer, but wouldn’t that building over there make a fierce coffee shop?!?”
    Today, however, there is good news for all of us daydreamers, as the National Trust for Historic Preservation has officially swung open the doors to its Preservation Green Lab. Headquartered in Seattle, this unique new field office is designed to (among many other things) make the undeniably green principle of adaptive reuse front and center among the people who are making decisions about the buildings we love.
    So, as the Preservation Green Lab ramps up to start telling the world what we already know about the shared ground between preservation and sustainability, what can we do? How can we spread the message?
    If you’ve made it this far in this post, here’s your assignment: Tonight, take advantage of the longer daylight hours by grabbing your camera and heading out for a walk around your neighborhood. If you come across an abandoned building that really tugs at your heartstrings, take a photo (like the ones you see above) and share it in our Reuse It! photo group on Flickr. It only takes a few minutes to upload your shots, and hey, you get some cardio done in the process.
    Much like reusing something that has meaning, it’s a win-win situation.

    Comment by PreservationNation — March 30, 2009 #

  12. Subject: DONATING A MAMMOGRAM

    A favor to ask, it only takes a minute….
    *  * * 

    Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on “donating a mammogram” for free (pink window in the middle).

    This doesn’t cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

    Here’s the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

    http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

    AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY

    Comment by Schlesinger, Sherril — April 4, 2009 #

  13. Segerstrom Co., the developer of South Coast Plaza, announced that its Plaza Tower, Center Tower and Park Tower achieved LEED-EB Gold Certification, the first multi-tenant office buildings in California and three of the first four buildings in the U.S. to receive that particular U.S. Green Building Council distinction.

    The Leadership and Environmental Design for The Segerstrom office towers will reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by more than 9.5 million pounds annually and reduce water consumption by more than 3 million gallons yearly, according to the Offices of South Coast Plaza.

    Comment by Matt Coker — April 9, 2009 #

  14. China’s massive $585 billion government stimulus program appears to be kicking in, new data suggested Friday, raising the chances that the world’s third-largest economy may be turning a corner.

    Chinese demand for raw materials, hard hit in past months, is showing signs of recovery, with crude-oil imports hitting a one-year high in March. Steel mills in March imported record quantities of their key raw material, iron ore, in anticipation of a pickup in demand in coming months.

    Comment by WSJ.com — April 11, 2009 #

  15. Training for Green

    With the Obama Administration stating goals of improving existing buildings’ by 25% in 10 years, training on the latest technology is essential, according to Building Owners and Managers Institute International (BOMI), an Annapolis, MD-based nonprofit organization focus on educating property, facility and systems professionals. While the Building Systems Maintenance Certificate (SMC) designation has existed for years, it now incorporates training and information about energy consumption and adherence to emission regulations, and continues to adapt to changing technology.

    “It has evolved, and is under construction as we speak,” says BOMI trustee Lenny Jachimowicz, FMA, vice president of engineering for Marriott International. “The curriculum has evolved over time, and has recently undergone some changes to contemporize the technology section within certain parts of the curriculum.”

    The SMC certificate is a preparation for the Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA) designation, one of four offered by BOMI, which also includes: Real Property Administrator (RPA), the Facilities Management Administrator (FMA), and the Systems Maintenance Technician (SMT).

    Comment by Debra Hazel — April 11, 2009 #

  16. If state Assemblywoman Lori Saldana has her way, buyers of California homes built a little more than a decade from now would not have to worry about paying big electricity bills. The homes would produce power themselves.

    The San Diego Democrat has introduced legislation that would require all homes built starting in about 2020 to be so-called zero net energy buildings. That means they would be extremely energy efficient and produce enough power to offset any electricity they draw from the grid.

    That homegrown power would probably come from solar panels. But it also could be generated by nearby wind or geothermal plants, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with the group Environment California, which supports the bill.

    Comment by STEVE LAWRENCE — April 24, 2009 #

  17. Singapore has unveiled an ambitious plan to certify 80 per cent of the city-state’s buildings as environmentally green.

    The island’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) launched a second green building master plan this week.

    The master plan is aiming for 80 per cent of Singapore’s buildings to achieve a “green mark” standard by 2030.

    A green mark rates a building based on its environmental impact and performance.

    Owners of existing stock are being encouraged to alter their buildings to seek savings through things like modified building materials, different lighting, reduced cooling requirements and lower emissions.

    The BCA hopes this will in turn generate $1.5 billion in energy cost savings annually.

    Comment by Desmond Ang for Radio Australia — May 12, 2009 #

  18. A study by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council looks at the return on investment (ROI) for developing Living Buildings. The purpose of the study is to provide up-to-date information on the incremental cost between LEED Gold buildings and Living Buildings, and answer questions regarding the anticipated payback. As with many ROI calculations, the payback improves if
    the owner has a holistic perspective and includes operating costs in addition to one-time project costs over a longer time horizon. Building
    scale, the location’s climate and energy costs, and the building use have significant impacts on the ROI’s of green buildings.

    Comment by Cascadia Region Green Building Council — May 12, 2009 #

  19. A comprehensive plan to make our nation’s buildings more efficient could save enough energy by 2030 to power all of the nation’s cars, homes and businesses for a year and a half, while saving Americans more than $500 billion, according to a new report by PennEnvironment.

    Comment by PennEnvironment — May 22, 2009 #

  20. While many developers are working towards sustainable building practices, some are not seeking the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification because of the cost.

    John Zinner, a Santa Monica, California-based LEED project manager, told the Santa Monica Daily Press, that soft costs — the design process — of going for certification could range roughly from $40,000 to $200,000, depending on the size of the project.

    Comment by Environmental Leader — May 22, 2009 #

  21. Green Home Builders Facing New Economic Reality

    It may be one of the worst times in history to be a home builder, but the green home market is expanding despite the downward trends of the market as a whole.

    Comment by BUILDER Business Update- Green Issue — June 8, 2009 #

  22. No. 6: Los Angeles

    While L.A. is better-known for bleached blondes and bottled tans, a few serious fashion brands have emerged from the city over the last few years, including Rodarte–whose designers won this year’s Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Womenswear Designer of the Year award–and Band of Outsiders, designed by L.A.-based designer Scott Sternberg, who won this year’s CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award. What’s more, the city houses quite a bit of modern architecture, including homes by Frank Lloyd Wright and Joseph Eichler.

    Comment by Forbes — July 5, 2009 #

  23. Boosted in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will provide significant funding for renovations to federal building, the total potential market for major green renovations in the commercial building sector is approximately $400 billion, according to a new study by Pike Research. Although currently a relatively small market, the market researcher forecasts that comprehensive efficiency retrofits will more than triple in annual revenue to $6.6 billion by 2013.

    The market researcher says the total U.S. commercial building market, with 70-billion square-feet of space, delivers one of the largest opportunities for energy savings, reduction of carbon emissions and increased property values.

    While direct energy savings can be significant with green retrofits, the study, “Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Commercial and Public Buildings”, indicates that most major projects will not be driven by cost savings, but instead will be initiated to meet broader policy and business objectives such as lower carbon footprints, higher employee productivity, and higher property values.

    Comment by Environmental Leader — July 6, 2009 #

  24. Nearly 40 years after its construction, Chicago’s Sears Tower — the world’s third tallest building — is embarking on what could be its greatest adventure: a $350 million, top-to-bottom environmental retrofit that would add wind turbines, solar panels and roof gardens to its iconic profile and trim its electricity use to a fraction of current consumption.

    Comment by Andrew C. Burr — July 12, 2009 #

  25. Europe claimed 14 of the top 20 environmental performers largely because the Old Continent has “the infrastructure to provide clean drinking water and treat waste water, lowering the likelihood that Europeans will suffer from waterborne disease.”

    Read more: http://www.greenpacks.org/2009/04/29/the-worlds-cleanest-countries/#ixzz0MuQo7PZN

    Comment by Greenpacks — July 31, 2009 #

  26. Hey City Folk
    May is the season for a visit to the New York City Tourist Attractions or for a California Road Trip Getaway.Lots of friends in both places- might consider LA as a 3rd option - so, I am researching Places To Visit In California. Point me in the right direction.

    L8r.

    Comment by Danyendonee — March 4, 2010 #

  27. Fast-Growing groOrganic™ Announces Franchise Opportunities Now Available throughout
    California

    January 27th 2010 - Califonia—groOrganic™ announces that franchise opportunities for
    its groOrganic™ concept of enabling environmentally conscious consumers install and
    maintain customized organic vegetable gardens and vineyards are now available in
    locations throughout the California. Their approach is by far the most convenient
    way for newcomers — who make up 21% of the 43 million homes with home gardens in
    2009 - to begin organic gardening at home. groOrganic is positioned to franchise
    throughout America in 2010, and founder, Karen Cancilla, is realizing her dream of
    cultivating healthy lifestyles by bringing organic gardens to as many people as
    possible.

    groOrganic is a family of companies committed to cultivating healthy lifestyles in
    every community they serve with their passion and dedicated team of Certified
    groOrganic Gardeners who offer their personal pledge of excellence. They believe
    there IS an economical, healthy way to eat organically and can provide that with the
    sense of self sufficiency for you and your family.

    groOrganic supports small American businesses and they proudly offer superior
    merchandise from only the best USA suppliers. Their promise is to support the local
    business community by first seeking out custom hand-built and hand-painted products
    from local contractors and artists.

    They offer a diverse gardening curriculum for adults, children, and those with
    special needs who can benefit from educational and horticultural therapy programs.

    Whether you live in a house or apartment, you can enjoy the benefits of home grown
    organic produce. Their custom-built raised planters and space-saving barrels are
    designed to give you the advantage of incorporating vegetable gardens into your
    landscape, patio, or balcony.

    Karen Cancilla, the founder of groOrganic, established her first business in 1985.
    She went on to open several more businesses before retiring from the insurance
    industry to pursue her passion and next major venture, groOrganic. Karen Cancilla,
    business woman and mother of six founded the company when she noticed a growing
    demand for fresher foods and healthier lifestyles. The companies mission is to
    enhance peoples lives through „gro-ing‟ green, fresh, and responsibly.

    The Los Angeles-based organic gardening company has a growing list of fans and
    customers, thanks in part to the “Slow Food Movement” and its devoted supporters,
    and word-of-mouth generated by people all over the country. Even Hollywood
    celebrities have generated a lot of buzz for groOrganic, many of whom enjoy their
    own groOrganic gardens and are excited about the prospect of having their very own
    organic produce in their yards. groOrganic has been featured in articles, blogs, and
    on the television shows “The Biggest Loser”, “Keeping with Kardashians”, “Tori &
    Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood”, and “Access Hollywood”.

    As a groOrganic Franchisee, you will install and maintain home organic gardens in
    backyards in your territory. This is wonderful news to those of us who wish to begin
    a healthier lifestyle and rid our families of the chemicals that are being put on
    and in our produce. In addition to the numerous health benefits, a groOrganic garden
    offers environmental and financial benefits, educational opportunities, disaster
    preparedness, and many social aspects that affect our communities in a positive way.
    We believe the groOrganic Concept can be spread through franchisees throughout the
    nation and beyond.

    More Info: To learn more about groOrganic franchise opportunities in the states of
    California, Arizona and Nevada, contact Karen Cancilla directly at 888-947-6674
    karen@groOrganic.com
    http://www.groOrganic.com

    Comment by Jennifer DeWitt — March 18, 2010 #

  28. Hi All

    Ten greatest things to plan for Greece Travel since

    Thessaloniki: One of the leading Greece Vacations that you should see Geographically, Greece lives up to its representation as playground for gods and goddesses, and as part of that landscape, Thessaloniki is a amazing place to holiday and a awfully well place to splurge Greece holidays and I have called my tour manager to book one room at Thessaloniki Hotels

    L8r.

    Comment by UniorJanonorm — June 21, 2010 #

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