ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
We have already discussed the energy savings that implementing green roofs will result in, but there are many other benefits that green roofs provide besides being economically beneficial. Firstly, green roofs are capable of storm-water management which prevents excess runoff caused by the hard, non-porous surfaces of concrete roofs on buildings (3). Storm-water management helps to prevent the excess runoff from overflowing storm-water management facilities which contributes to damaging the water quality with pollutants (2). Another environmental benefit to green roofs is that the sir quality improves by capturing airborne pollutants, atmospheric deposition, filtering noxious gases, and the vegetation on the green roof converts excess carbon dioxide which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions (6). Lastly, the implementation of green roofs will help reduce the effects of Urban Heat Islands in Houston. Urban Heat Islands refers to the effect whereby near-surface air temperatures are higher in cities than in nearby suburban or rural areas, and because UH is in an urban area, it also contributes to this effect. The vegetation on green roofs increase the albedo of the roof which in turn reflects the radiation from the sun instead of absorbing it which reduces the effects of Urban Heat Islands (3).
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Other than the energy consumption savings, green roofs provide other economic benefits as well. For example, the implementation of green roofs will help increase the roofing membrane’s longevity (4). Properly installed green roofs more than double the number of years typically needed before a roof must be replaced which in turn leads to cost savings (2). Another way that installing green roofs will economically benefit UH is by creating jobs (5). The implementation of green roofs gives new job opportunities related to manufacturing, plant growth, design, installation, and maintenance (6).
SOCIAL BENEFITS
Green roofs can also benefit the social sector as well. The main ways that implementing green roofs can benefit the social sector is by creating new recreational space. Green roofs help to reach the principles of smart growth and positively affect the urban environment by increasing recreational and green space and reducing community resistance to sustainable projects (6). This will also help students at UH become aware of sustainable efforts and will create conversation about how to be more sustainable in everyday life. Another way that green roofs benefit us is by decreasing noise pollution. Green roofs are better at absorbing sound than conventional, concrete roofs which reduces the amount of noise transmitted inside the top floors of a building, particularly in areas with heavy air or automotive traffic (2).
LOCAL AND NATIONAL IMPACT
How Our Project can be Expanded
While our project focuses on implementing green roofs on the University of Houston campus, in the future it can be spread both locally and nationally. We hope that our UH green roofs will inspire the city of Houston to install green roofs on all of its future buildings and include accessible recreational areas for the public. This will allow Houston to decrease its building energy costs while promoting sustainable public spaces.
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On a national level, we would love to see more universities include green roofs on their new campus buildings. Doing so will promote social interaction, energy savings, and education. Depending on where schools are located, different types of plants are preferred. Please refer to our "Grass and Soil" tab for more information.
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Overall, we hope green roofs will become a common aspect of all modern buildings. As green roofs become more commonplace, the world's energy usage will decrease and sustainability will increase!
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