State-of-the-art analysis of the environmental benefits of green roofs

• Published in: Applied energy 2014-02, Vol.115, p.411-428
• Main Authors: Berardi, Umberto, GhaffarianHoseini, AmirHosein, GhaffarianHoseini, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Applied sciences; Buildings; Economics; Energy; Environmental benefits; Exact sciences and technology; Green roofs; Insulation; Low-energy buildings; Policies; Roofs; State of the art; Sustainable design; Urban heat islands
• ISSN: 0306-2619; 1872-9118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.10.047

•Cross-disciplinary review is performed for showing benefits of green roofs.•Green roofs have several benefits for energy, water and pollution management.•Experiments show that green roofs must consider specific climatic conditions.•Lifecycle analysis ensures the economic feasibility of green roofs.•Quantification of the green roof performances needs to consider technical design. Green roofs have been proposed for sustainable buildings in many countries with different climatic conditions. A state-of-the-art review of green roofs emphasizing current implementations, technologies, and benefits is presented in this paper. Technical and construction aspects of green roofs are used to classify different systems. Environmental benefits are then discussed mainly by examining measured performances. By reviewing the benefits related to the reduction of building energy consumption, mitigation of urban heat island effect, improvement of air pollution, water management, increase of sound insulation, and ecological preservation, this paper shows how green roofs may contribute to more sustainable buildings and cities. However, an efficient integration of green roofs needs to take into account both the specific climatic conditions and the characteristics of the buildings. Economic considerations related to the life-cycle cost of green roofs are presented together with policies promoting green roofs worldwide. Findings indicate the undeniable environmental benefits of green roofs and their economic feasibility. Likewise, new policies for promoting green roofs show the necessity for incentivizing programs. Future research lines are recommended and the necessity of cross-disciplinary studies is stressed.