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Sponsored by the Environmental Assistance Office (EAO)
for Small Business at UNC Charlotte, The
Environmental Corner is designed to serve as an
environmental management and pollution prevention
resource.
With
inner cities rapidly expanding, there is less and
less space available for mother nature. But
there is a way that small business can help minimize
the environmental impact of civil expansion, while
also benefiting their budget. This month's
newsletter details
Green Roofs and how they
can help you help yourself and mother nature.
In this issue:
Links:
Other Resources
What is a Green Roof?
A green roof is basically a system of plants and
drainage that is built on top of an existing roof.
Green roofs involve a high quality water proofing
and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter
cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants.
Green roofs can be
categorized as "semi-intensive", "intensive", or
"extensive". Traditional roof gardens, which require
a reasonable depth of soil to grow large plants or
conventional lawns, are labor-intensive, requiring
irrigation, feeding and other maintenance. Extensive
green roofs are designed to be virtually
self-sustaining and should only require a minimum of
maintenance, perhaps a once-yearly weeding or an
application of slow-release fertilizer to boost
growth. They can be established on a very thin layer
of "soil" (most use specially formulated composts):
even a thin layer of rock wool laid directly onto a
watertight roof can support a planting of Sedum
species and mosses.
Green roof systems may
be modular, with drainage layers, filter cloth,
growing media and plants already prepared in
movable, interlocking grids, or, each component of
the system may be installed separately. Green roof
development involves the creation of "contained"
green space on top of a human-made structure. This
green space could be below, at or above grade, but
in all cases the plants are not planted in the
"ground'. Green roofs can provide a wide range of
public and private benefits.
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Benefits of a Green Roof
Green roofs provide many benefits. Below is a
bullet list of just a few of the high points.
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Provide amenity
space for building users
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Reduce heating and
cooling loads on a building
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Reduce the urban
heat island effect
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Increase roof life
span
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Reduce storm water
run off
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Filter pollutants
and CO2 out of the air
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Provide locally
grown food
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Increase wildlife
habitat in built up areas
For
more benefits see
http://www.greenroofs.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=40.
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LEED and the Green Roof
Green roofs can facilitate a significant improvement
in the LEED rating of a building, contributing as
many as 15 credits under the system, depending on
design and level of integration with other building
systems. In some instances, while green roofs may
not contribute directly to achieving points under
the system, they contribute to earning LEED credits
when used with other sustainable building elements.
For example, green roofs can earn direct credits
under the following:
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Reduced Site
Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space
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Landscape Design
That Reduces Urban Heat Islands, Roof
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Storm Water
Management
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Water Efficient
Landscaping
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Innovative
Wastewater Technologies
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Innovation in Design
(the above is an excerpt from Green Roofs and
Maximizing Credits under the LEED Green Building
System, by Richard Kula in The Green Roof
Infrastructure Monitor, Spring 2005)
For
more information on LEED, please see
http://www.usgbc.org/.
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How much does a Green Roof
cost?
The cost of a green
roof varies considerably depending on the type and
factors such as the depth of growing medium,
selected plants, size of installation, use of
irrigation, and whether they are to be accessible on
inaccessible - intensive, semi-extensive or
extensive. Intensive green roofs typically require
greater investment but confer the benefits of
accessibility. An installed extensive green roof
with root repellant/waterproof membranes may be
installed for $9-$24 US per square foot. While green
roofs typically require a greater initial
investment, it is important to keep in mind that
they can extend the life of the roof membrane and
reduce the heating and cooling costs of your
building. Speak to a qualified green roof
professional about the range of costs and benefits
for different green roof systems and designs.
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Who to talk to about
installing a Green Roof?
Landscape architects and contractors frequently
design green roofs and can install the living
components (i.e., growing medium and plants).
But, because green roof systems include materials
not found on conventional roofs, it is recommended
that a qualified roofing contractor with experience
in green roof installation be chosen to install the
non-living components (e.g., vapor barrier,
waterproof membrane).
If
the contractors need some information regarding
Green Roof design, they could consult the following
links:
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Links: Other Resources
For more
information on Green Roofs, please visit the
following sites:
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Environmental Assistance
Office (EAO) for Small Business
The Environmental Assistance Office for Small
Business provides non-regulatory,
client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region.
The EAO is designed to assist regional businesses in
their efforts to voluntarily prevent pollution. The
EAO staff can provide timely assistance for
pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific
case studies, and new technologies. The office
provides links of resources to needs between the
region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a
particular issue or question you would like to see
in an upcoming edition, please send an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu.
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC
Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
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Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance for small
businesses in completing paperwork for EPA air
permits.
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Educational Materials - Educational pamphlet,
brochures, flyers, and other materials to relate
facts on pollution prevention.
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Educational Outreach - Develop educational outreach
campaigns and presentations for the public or
employee training.
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University Resources - Library information, faculty
expertise, student projects and research at both
graduate and undergraduate levels.
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