Green roofs aren't the elitist whim of a homeowner or condominium owner who loves plants. They're an architectural and urban planning choice that can produce several benefits, beyond the obvious reduction in pollution in the area thanks to the plants' absorption of CO02. Green roofs provide highly efficient thermal insulation, allow for reduce bills Up to 25 percent, they reduce noise. And they enhance the apartment's value.
But to understand well how much and how the game is really worth the candle, and therefore the expense becomes a useful investment for everyone, we must remember the most important benefits of green roofsFirst of all there is an effect of thermal insulation, acoustic e electromagnetic. What does it mean? Thermal insulation leads to reduced costs for the winter heating and cooling in the summer: temperatures throughout the building tend to stabilize. Soundproofing creates a fantastic natural barrier against the sometimes deafening noises of the city. The same goes for electromagnetic waves, especially for roofs near television and mobile phone repeaters. It has been calculated that, thanks to its thermal insulation effect, a green roof can reduce energy bills by up to 25 percent.
GREEN ROOFS AND POLLUTION
A second advantage is the immediate anti-pollution effect, a real breath of fresh air in the name of sustainability. Fine particles, traditionally "captured" by plants, are reduced, and the emissions CO2 And in general, the air, benefiting from the significant oxygenation provided by the green roof, improves. And not by a little. A green roof offers good protection in the event of heavy rains, storms, and deluges. The reason is simple. Plants, lots of plants, perform a draining function and therefore allow water to be absorbed. A simple floor, however, exposes the roof to the risk of water infiltration, which then, flowing, reaches the various apartments in the building. Likewise, a green roof is a natural incentive to install photovoltaic panels To harness the sun as a natural energy source. In this case, greenery ensures a stable temperature and prevents overheating, which can make the panels ineffective.
Green Roofs and Home Value
Finally, a green roof means enhance the house, increasing their price. There's even a certain tendency to speculate on the real estate market under the banner of green: but this confirms the fact that equipping roofs with greenery means making a structural intervention that then benefits the owners of the apartments in the entire building. A case in point of the benefits of green roofs comes from what happened in the American city of Chicago, where green roof coverings are even mandatory.
The cost of creating a green roof varies, obviously, based on the plants chosen and the systems used. For example, with a green roof, it may be worthwhile to also include a small system for wastewater recovery.rain water, considering that if well-designed, a green roof absorbs about 90 percent of rainfall. The average cost of installing a green roof and maintaining it ranges between 100 and 200 euros per square meter, when the vegetation becomes very dense.
GREEN ROOF BONUS
Anyone who installs a green roof benefits from a 36 percent tax reduction, with a spending cap of €5.000 per property. The bonus is available to individual property owners, any usufructuaries, and even those with a rental agreement.
Mandatory Green Roofs in Chicago
In Chicago , since the city decided to mandate tree cover, it was discovered that summer temperatures inside apartments in these buildings are 1,4 to 4,4 degrees Celsius lower than in neighboring homes. A study conducted by Spanish researchers, and published in National Geographic , demonstrates how foliage on rooftops can reduce the heat generated by the sun in the same buildings by 60 percent. This translates into huge savings on electricity bills due to less use of air conditioning.
MANDATORY GREEN ROOFS AROUND THE WORLD
Laws like Chicago's are proliferating around the world. In Basel, for example, it is mandatory for all new buildings to have green roofs, and the roof of the city's largest hospital has become a magnet. This gives the impression that Basel is a forest city . Even in Toronto, Canada, a city council resolution requires residents to have green roofs. And in France, it has been established that new public and commercial buildings must have at least some green roofs and solar panels. On the other hand, the news of the 40 people who die each year from air pollution has caused a stir, especially in France.
In short: plants, once again, give us life again. They make us feel better and even help us tolerate the heat of a world that, when it comes to temperatures, seems to have gone mad.
