Green roofs, like the massive 27,750 square foot, EPA Recovery Act funded, green roof located atop the World Wildlife Fund headquarters, offer benefits in a variety of areas. Along with providing shade, removing heat from the air, and reducing temperatures in ways a conventional rooftop can’t, green roofs come with other excellent benefits:
- Reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas: Green roofs can lower demands on air conditioning, decreasing production of associated pollutants. The vegetation can remove air pollutants through dry deposition and carbon sequestration and storage.
- Improved health and comfort: By reducing heat transfers through the building roof, green roofs can improve indoor comfort and lower heat stress.
- Green roofs are instrumental in handling and reducing stormwater run-off.
- Reduced energy use: Green roofs reduce the need for energy associated with cooling and heating by acting as an insulator.
Learn more about green roof benefits and the Recovery Act at www.epa.gov/recovery.
