WHY INSTALL A GREEN ROOF?
"The city of the future is a green city"
Cities are sensitive to the effects of climate change. Weather extremes such as very hot summers and increasingly severe storms lead to flooding, heat problems and poorer air quality. Sustainable urban solutions such as green roofs play an important role in climate-proof construction. The city of the future is undoubtedly a green city.
Read more about the numerous advantages of a green roof below:
Water storage
In order to limit the increasing inconvenience caused by heavy rainfall, it is becoming more important to apply water retention on roofs. Research has shown that green roofs can store at least 50% of the precipitation in the drainage layer, the substrate and in the vegetation.
Air and water purification
The plants of a green roof filter particles from the air and convert CO2 into oxygen. In this way, green roofs contribute to a better environment through air purification. Green roofs also provide water purification: because polluted rainwater first flows through a green roof, part of the pollution is filtered out before it ends up in the waterways.
Cooling
Surfaces with plants heat up less quickly and retain less heat. In addition, plants evaporate water, which cools the air. This creates a cooler and more pleasant urban climate.
Acoustical insulation
In addition to thermal insulation, a green roof also has a sound-absorbing effect. The combination of substrate, plants and the air embedded in the green roof system leads to good sound insulation. Sound waves are captured and reflected. The substrate blocks lower sound waves, while plants block higher frequencies. Think of noise from aircraft and traffic, but also heavy rain and hail. Green roofs reduce sound reflection by 3dB and sound insulation by up to 8dB. This reduction does not seem to be much, but for the human ear a noise reduction of 10dB is a reduction of 50%. The sound insulation depends on the thickness of the structure of the green roof.
Higher solar panel efficiency
The efficiency of solar panels on a green roof is up to 16% higher than the efficiency of solar panels on a normal roof.
Solar panels have the highest efficiency at a low ambient temperature. On a black/bitumen roof, for example, the temperature can reach around 60 to 70°C, as opposed to just 35°C on a green roof. This greatly increases the efficiency of solar panels. In addition, the lower temperature also results in less wear and tear on the solar panels, which therefore last longer. The roofing even lasts 2 to 3 times longer. Biodiversity is also promoted by solar panels because other plants will settle in the shady areas under the panels.
Heat-regulating effect
A green roof mainly has a heat-regulating effect. This effect is most significant during the summer. With traditional roofing, large fluctuations in the interior temperature can occur. In summer, a building heats up because standard roofing absorbs the heat from the sun. When a green roof is used, direct sunlight is reflected by the vegetation instead of being absorbed. In addition, the moisture present in the vegetation evaporates, which provides extra cooling. Together, this ensures that the temperature in the building remains lower and you can save on energy costs for air conditioning.
Visual benefits
A view of a green environment has a positive effect on the state of mind and thus also on people's physical health. In addition, the vegetation varies according to the seasons, which results in a pleasant variation in the view.
Longer roofing life
A green roof lasts longer than an ordinary roofing material (compared to a flat roof with bitumen this is even twice as long). The presence of the layer structure protects the roof covering against: UV radiation, heating, freezing and temperature fluctuations of the roof surface, uneven heating of the different roof layers and mechanical damage.