Evaluating the Sustainability Impacts of Green Roofs on Buildings

Widespread vegetated roofs, called green roofs, are becoming a popular option for sustainable design. Green roofs are capable of improving a variety of environmental parameters in urban areas. The construction of green roofs requires the consideration of many factors and parameters. For example, the structure of the building should be capable of carrying the extra weight of soil, water, and vegetation on the roof. The main objective of this paper is to study the impact of green roofs on buildings and to identify existing trends, technologies, and techniques. This paper investigates the implication of existing green roof technologies on structural design, energy demand, and life cycle cost. Using WUFI®, energy simulations were performed for the case study and the developed model was validated through cost analysis. Results showed that regional variations were sufficiently addressed through multi-level weight consideration in the proposed model. Findings from this study will be beneficial to urban planners and architects for the design and construction of more sustainable buildings.