Green Roof - Financial Benefits

Financial Benefits

• Increase roof life span dramatically, for example a green roof protects the waterproofing membrane, particularly from UV light, increasing the life expectancy.
• Increase real estate value
• Reduction in energy usage
• Stormwater tax reduction
• Federal and local tax incentives - for example, a one-year property tax credit is available in New York City, since 2009, for property owners who green at least 50% of their roof area.

A green roof is often a key component of an autonomous building.

Several studies have been carried out in Germany since the 1970s. Berlin is one of the most important centers of green roof research in Germany. Particularly in the last 10 years, much more research has begun. About ten green roof research centers exist in the US and activities exist in about 40 countries. In a recent study on the impacts of green infrastructure, in particular green roofs in the Greater Manchester area, researchers found that adding green roofs can help keep temperatures down, particularly in urban areas: “adding green roofs to all buildings can have a dramatic effect on maximum surface temperatures, keeping temperatures below the 1961–1990 current form case for all time periods and emissions scenarios. Roof greening makes the biggest difference…where the building proportion is high and the evaporative fraction is low. Thus, the largest difference was made in the town centers.”