Green From the Top Down

One of the green options that has intrigued me for many years is that of 'green roofs'. I have lost count of the number of times I have muttered about all the 'wasted space' on the top of buildings.

Acres and acres of space that is not only wasted, but worse, with the summer sun beating down on it heat islands are created on the outside while air conditioners are chugging away on the inside. Unfortunately by the time the winter months come along, the heat islands have dissipated and now the furnaces are chugging away heating the building that has a huge top surface that could be so much better protected.

I am happy to report that it appears some of the top officials at the City of Toronto have not only been muttering about roof tops, but are taking action! In February 2006, the City of Toronto announced the Green Roof Pilot Program whereby for eligible, privately owned buildings, they will provide a grant of $10 per sq metre of green roof area up to a maximum of $20,000 per building.

As per the press release:

Green roofs mitigate the effects of storm water in the city, improve building's energy efficiency, reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, beautify the city, provide locations for gardening and food production, and provide passive recreational space in densely populated neighbourhoods. If eight per cent of Toronto's area were converted to Green Roofs, summer temperatures could be reduced by as much as 2 degrees Celsius.

Wow!

What is even more surprising, at least for me, was the $200,000 set aside for this pilot program is coming from Toronto's Water budget!

I was able to make the connection between green roofs and energy conservation, however, what I had not considered was the significant impact green roofs would have on decreasing the cost of storm water maintenance.

For a full breakdown of all the potential savings associated with green roofs I recommend you take a look at this report from Ryerson University: Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto .

The deadline for applications for this pilot project was October 16th 2006, so hopefully details about upcoming projects will soon be available.