Green roofs are becoming a critical component in “green” urban infrastructure, and can provide a wide variety of environmental, aesthetic and cost benefits. A green roof can cover any size building and be used on any building type given the building has been designed or retrofitted to structurally support the weight. It generally consists of drought-tolerant vegetation and light-weight growing medium layered over an efficient drainage system and waterproofing membrane.

Benefits of Green Roofs:

• Can significantly slow down and/or capture stormwater compared to typical roof systems
• Ability to meet regulations addressing stormwater
• Reduce roof temperature, which lessens energy costs
• Urban heat island effect mitigation
• Extend the life of the waterproofing material on the building by 2-3 times
• Insullation from noise: up to 10 decibels per 3" of media
• Connect fragmented green spaces together
• Increase biodiversity
• Food production
• Amenity & expanded living space
• Electromagnetic radiation blocking
   

National Resources

The American Society of Landscape Architects recently constructed a green roof on their headquarters building in Washington, D.C. Runoff and temperature measurements from the site are already indicating environmental and energy benefits.

The Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Web site provides an extensive list of the benefits that can be expected through typical green roof applications. Green roofs have been successfully used in Europe for decades. Green roofs in Nebraska have also been around for a long time – if a person counts the green roofs on the sod houses of Nebraska pioneers! Regional projects using new technologies and materials are still relatively few in number, but interest and investment in green roofs is growing.

Regional Resources & Projects

In addition to the commercial projects noted below, residential green roof projects are also underway in Omaha. For persons interested in Nebraska green roof projects and efforts to establish green roof technologies as a viable stormwater management alternative in Nebraska, the following people/resources are available:

Green roof power point presentation by Kent Holm of Douglas County Environmental Services and Andy Szatko, graduate student at UNL.

Douglas County Green Roof Working Committee: Click on the 'Technical Memorandum' link to see the report put together by the committee.

Pioneers Park Nature Center Green Roof, Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln Journal Star Business Section article

Video Description of Green Roofs by Jim Dyck & Richard Sutton
on YouTube-from Backyard Farmer

Contacts:

Kent E. Holm, Douglas County, Nebr., Environmental Services Director and Acting Chair of the Green Roof Working Committee

Dr. Richard Sutton, ASLA, Department of Agronomy/Horticulture, UNL
 

Information presented within the property design and management section of this Water Web site has been reviewed by University of Nebraska - Lincoln Property Design & Management Team members Kelly Feehan, Thomas Franti, Steven Rodie and Richard Sutton.