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Source: National Resource Council, Institute for Research in Construction
Why a green roof?
We have created a “green roof” by planting sedum plants on top of our new building. Green roofs have a host of environmental and economic benefits:
- The sedum plants decrease the “heat island” effect by absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis. As a result, the temperature of the roof never rises above the air outside. (A conventional gravel roof, on the other hand, gets to temperatures of 150 degrees or more.) This keeps energy costs down; rooms under a green roof are five to seven degrees cooler than the air outside, which makes a big difference in cooling our building on those hot summer days!
- The sedums plants naturally filter the air that moves across them; not only do the plants remove airborne particulates at a rate of 0.2 kg per square meter per year, but they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Our roof makes the air in DC fresher!
- The sedum plant has water-storing leaves, which significantly reduce runoff. The roof will keep in 70-90% of all precipitation that falls upon it.
- The water that does come off the roof, thanks again to our sedum plants, has been naturally filtered, reducing environmental damage from runoff.
- Because the structural portion of the roof is insulated by the sedum plants and their growing medium, our roof will last at least twice as long as a conventional roof; this is a significant economic benefit.
- The sedum plants and their growing medium provide a natural sound-proofing.
More about the building
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