Intro To Green Roofs, Part 2 Of 3: The Benefits For Building Owners, Occupants And Everyone Else
A future blog series will deep dive into the details of each green roof benefit, but for now, here is a brief run down grouped into two categories: Private benefits (enjoyed by building owners and occupants) and Public benefits (how green roofs benefit their local economy, environment, and society).
Private benefits of green roofs:
Installing a green roof is a great way for building owners to reinvest in their building asset. Putting a dollar value behind each of the different ways building owners and occupants will benefit from a green roof quickly adds up to an attractive overall return on investment (particularly if they live in one of the many cities that offer financial incentives for green roofs).
Boosted property value (higher lease rates and sale value)
Thermal insulation (reduced cooling and heating costs)
Marketing (showing commitment to environment boosts brand image)
Rooftop agriculture
Reduced noise levels
Access to Nature
Public benefits of green roofs:
One lone green roof won’t exactly bring climate change to a grinding halt. But install several green roofs clustered in one neighborhood, for example, and you will start to see the effects. Further, if even just 2% of roofs in one city were greened, the impact would be considerable.
Image: The Beirut Wonder Forest, Studio Invisible
For this reason, to encourage green roof construction, several North American cities (ie: New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago) offer very generous financial incentives, property tax rebates and cash reimbursements. City governments love green roofs for these public benefits:
Stormwater retention (easing of street flooding and sewer overflow)
Cooler air (reduction of Urban Heat Island Effect)
Cleaner air (reduction of pollutants, dust and smog levels)
Local job creation
Waste reduction
Aesthetic improvement
To be continued…