Green Roof Technology

Green roofs present a viable solution for increasing rainwater retention while improving the energy performance of both new and existing buildings. Considering the widespread occurrence of existing buildings, it is worthwhile to conduct an in-depth analysis of green roof feasibility for retrofitting these buildings. In such cases, the first constraint is related to structural compatibility. Therefore, the use of lightweight systems should be prioritized to minimize overloading of the existing roof. Another possible constraint concerns the viability of green roofs. The main advantages of green roofs are their energy savings and environmental benefits. In this study, different green roof solutions were evaluated and their performance was compared against the findings of previous studies. The analysis was carried out in the Mediterranean city of Catania, and the results show that only green roof solutions with a load limit of 1.46 kN/m 2 are suitable for retrofitting existing buildings. As regards the energy savings, energy consumption for cooling was reduced by 31–35%, and during winter, energy consumption for heating decreased by 2–10%. The environmental benefits were quantified during summer and compared to those of non-vegetated roofs. The results show removals of 1.35 kg m-2 ·y −1 of CO 2 and 0.03 kg m-2 ·y −1 of NO 2. Finally, the economic analysis indicates that the discounted payback time of the investment varies from 13 to 18 years depending on the substrates and vegetation used on the green roof.

Unlike  the  US,  where  new  components  and  materials  flood  the  market  with  little  or no research, 
G+H made extensive tests over more than 5 years before their scheduled introduction  to the Green Roof market. The research and development was led by Prof. Dr.‐Ing. Stephan  Roth‐Kleyer at the University of Geisenheim, Germany. Prof. Dr.‐Ing Stephan Roth‐Kleyer is one  of Germany’s leading researchers for modern Green Roof technology having published more  than 300 publications, coaching theses and dissertation in the last 30 years

The climate change phenomenon is a global challenge. A substantial part of this impact affects Africa due to its tropical weather. Africa with its large population of about 1.2 billion people is housing the largest hot desert in the world, which covers about 9.2 million kilometers (31% if the total land area of Africa) which makes it more susceptible to the impact of climate change. A huge portion of this population lives in poverty and poor shelters. Some of the effects of climate change on the continent includes but are not limited to higher temperatures, droughts, changing rainfall patterns increasing climate variability, rising water levels, poor health and livelihoods, weak food productivity, non-availability of clean and portable water, insecurity, boundary and farmer-herders conflicts (AWDR, 2006), malnutrition and poverty (IPPC 2014).

Abstract
As a result of rural-urban migration, population centralization in Kathmandu is negatively affecting the lives of its residents. Decreasing farmlands and dependence on imported vegetables has increased the food prices, questioning affordability, freshness, risking health and well-being. In this context, farming on roof tops can be efficient, convenient and attractive. Utilizing the unused rooftop areas can increase the productivity of limited urban spaces. So far, a few projects on roof-top gardens (RTGs) have been conducted in Kathmandu, yet a detailed study about its practicality is lacking. Based on comparisons and references to other Asian countries and literatures published, this paper draws conclusions on ways of developing RTGs as an industry in Kathmandu, for income generation, employment creation, diet supplement, household waste management and biotope regeneration, thus exposing its potentials to suit the culture and life-style of Kathmandu residents. To operate an RTG, one does not need to be a home-owner. A new trend of ‘roof rental service’ for professional city farmers can be developed through new policies so that a yearly production target can be set matching the climatic cycle. The uniqueness and value of growing food on Kathmandu’s roof tops must be acknowledged by all, not only for commercial, but also for therapeutic purposes, reconnecting the urbanites to nature, enriching their minds and bodies.

With half of the present population of the world residing in urban areas and the number expected to grow in the future with population increase, the demand for living space is going up year by year. To accommodate the growing urban population constructions are on the rise leading to densification of the urban built-up environment, thermal discomfort and high energy use for air conditioning. By utilizing the dead space these buildings present, green roofs provide an option to address these urban challenges.

The objective of this study is to investigate the temperature and energy consumption reduction from green and cool roof application on poorly insulated old buildings. The Experimental Room in Energy Park in AIT was used as the case example. For the experimental study of green roof and cool roof application, temperature profiles of the roof and heat flux were considered.

The results of the study show good temperature reduction with a green and cool roof over a bare roof. The heat flux during daytime is significantly reduced with green and cool roof application as well as the heat loss is minimized. The green roof shows similar temperature reduction potential to that of the high albedo cool roof whereas the indoor temperature is lower by 1°C during daytime for the green roof.

The sampled building was modeled using BESim software with a bare, cool and green roof for the mean days of the year 2014 to assess the temperature reduction potential and energy consumption reduction on a wider time frame. The results show cool and green roofs have lower indoor temperature and they act as good insulators preventing heat gain and loss. Though the reductions in temperature, energy consumption and electricity bill were slightly higher for green roof compared to that of a cool roof, the high initial investment and longer payback period for green roof proved to be the main deterrent for application over a cool roof.

Vegetated façade so called as green roof is actually an old and traditional system is rediscovered and implemented to address and ameliorate deleterious impacts on our urban environment. This paper reviews the evidence for the varied benefits of green roof as urban antidote in reducing the energy required for the maintenance of interior climates, increase sound insulation, fire resistance, increase in the life span of the roof, provide small-scale green open space, wildlife niche creation, air quality improvement and reduction of UHI effects. In addition, green roofs could also improve storm water attenuation, increase the aesthetic value of a building façade and provide visual relief from the city hustle bustle.

Berkembang penduduk bandar menyumbang yang membawa banyak masalah yang berkaitan. Jelas sekali fungsi yang penting dalam bumbung adalah untuk menjaga cuaca daripada bangunan tinggi tetapi, tidak ada bumbung perlu dikekang untuk tujuan ini tunggal, terutama dalam hal ini pembangunan bandar global yang buat adalah amat sukar untuk mencari tanah untuk taman-taman dan taman-taman dan juga kerana, penggunaan pertanian bandar. Kajian ini kami berhasrat untuk memahami subjek yang taman bumbung untuk penggunaan pertanian bandar di taman bumbung di bangunan tinggi. Kertas ini adalah kertas kajian yang cuba untuk beberapa ciri-ciri taman bumbung untuk kegunaan pertanian bandar di taman bumbung di bangunan tinggi. Akhir sekali, penggunaan pertanian bandar di taman atas bumbung adalah sangat berguna untuk penduduk yang tinggal di dalam bangunan yang mempunyai teknologi ini, sebagai contoh ia boleh membantu untuk mencapai kemampanan ekonomi dan alam sekitar. Di samping itu, dengan menggunakan pertanian bandar di taman atas bumbung yang boleh membantu negara-negara yang berbeza untuk keselamatan makanan. Jadi, manfaat taman bumbung dan pertanian bandar digalakkan untuk orang-orang yang, tinggal di bangunan tinggi untuk kegunaan taman bumbung di Malaysia.

In managing stormwater, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) has promoted the control-at-source concept. This concept focuses equally on quantity, quality of stormwater and amenity as an integrated approach. Many components in SUDS have different purposes depending on design and location to implement. One of these components is green roof. There are two types of green roof namely extensive and intensive green roof. Many studies overseas have shown that green roof can help not only in slowing down the rainwater to reach the ground and sinking numerous pollutants in its substrate, but also leaching pollutants from the substrate. Notably, the rainfall characteristics in those countries are different compared to the conditions in Malaysia. Malaysia receives high rainfall depth throughout the year from low to severe intensity (1->60mm/hr). High and severe intensity rainfall may cause flash flood in Malaysia particularly in urban and dense areas. Due to the limitation of space, the performance of green roof towards high-intensity rainfall needs to be further studied in Malaysian conditions. It is to determine the performance of this SUDS component in combating flash flood issues and become an alternative for stormwater management in Malaysia. Other than that, the application of green roof can also be considered for a major system in Urban Stormwater Management Manual for Malaysia 2nd Edition (MSMA 2nd Edition) since it is still not included in the manual. This research was carried out in River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Through simulated and real rainfall events, the performance of intensive green roof in terms of flow attenuation, volume retention,
and green roof outflow water quality were studied. The result showed that green roof testbeds managed to attenuate the inflow and volume retention. Runoff was delayed in the range of 20 to 65 minutes. Green roof was found to successfully reduce peak discharge of rainfall in the range of 68.8% to 95.6% with moderate influence by rainfall depth and rainfall duration with R2=0.5. In simulated high-intensity rainfall (52mm/hr – 1040mm/hr), the green roof managed to retain rainwater from 0.02m3 to 1.22m3. Volume retention was calculated and found to have a significant correlation with rainfall depth, intensity and rainfall duration with R2=0.8. Based on the Water Quality Index of Malaysia (WQI), the quality of green roof outflow was studied and it was found that pH and COD fell in Class I, BOD5 and TSS in Class I-II, AN in Class I-III, and depletion of DO fell in Class I-V. No significant difference was found in green roof vegetation performance in treating these WQI parameters except for TSS (p<0.05). It was confirmed that green roof discharge would not cause a nuisance to water bodies. To conclude, this study believes that the implementation of green roof in Malaysia is very promising.

In cities, buildings contribute large unused panels, especially on their wall and roofs. These external surfaces generally made from materials that listed as a reflector to the heat such as concrete, glass, and bricks. Covering the external surfaces with green vegetation could be a solution to many environmental, economic and social problems, especially in the urban areas. A review was directed of studies that reported and measured on the relationship between characteristics of vegetation and their influence on building thermal performance, air and water pollution, and building energy-efficient. A numerous of published studies were investigated for their: (a) definition based on roof typologies and combinations; (b) historical evolution periods; (c) observation the green system functions. These analyses cover to afford scholars with a review of conventional techniques to understand one of the passive cooling strategies adopted in warm and cold climates. The techniques provide a significant contribution to the field of sustainable architecture, also to improve understanding of the progressive developments of a green roof. Despite other new designs of green system, this conventional and simple green roof has remained to contribute significantly to provide indoor thermal comfort.

Extensive green roofs are currently being used as a kind of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS for its acronym in English) in the main Colombian cities, however little research is available to provide information on the hydrologic performance of these systems under climatic conditions of different regions of Colombia. This research, like other similar researches carried out in Western Europe, USA and Australia, focuses on evaluating the ability of rain water retention of extensive green roofs through monitoring of an experimental setup that tries to replicate the main features  of extensive green roofs installed in buildings on a large scale. Although plants are clearly making "green" to a vegetated roof, the contribution of these to the retention of rain water has been little studied, and in some cases has even suggested that much of the rain water retention could be achieved only by the substrate or culture medium. Therefore different modules were implemented with extensive green roof in the city of Bogotá D.C (Colombia) to quantify the rain water retention of different components of the system under real climatic conditions of the Tropical Andes. The different modules were implemented during the period comprehended between April, 2013 and April-2015, measuring with high temporal resolution the main climate variables. Based on the measurements a detailed water balance was obtained from which some findings on the hydrological behavior of the valued hydro system arose.

Recently, thermal properties of the landscaped rooftops and walls have attracted the interest of researchers because of the potential to minimize energy consumption in urban areas and to aid summer-time thermal control. For this reason the creation of a plant-based shade for walls or above buildings is highly important. In this paper we evaluate using Lygodium japonicum, one of the many ferns and fern allies traditionally used in Japanese gardening, as a component of thermal-buffering green walls. Lygodium japonicum, the only climbing fern species in Japan, is fast-growing, adheres easily to walls and has a climbing nature. A simple thermal analysis of the sun-shading effect of Lygodium canopy suggested that local surface temperature above the ceramic tiles placed on the rooftop of a building can be buffered (lowered in daytime and maintained relatively warm at night) by the presence of leafy climbing ferns covering the tiles, possibly due to the reflection and absorbance of solar radiation. Furthermore, the presence of the plants may also slow the night-time release of heat from the building surface. Because plants installed on tall walls or on the tops of buildings are not easily accessed for manual care, we performed a real-time routine monitoring and control of plant growth status using various optical sensors that could be automated and monitored remotely for large-scale applications. For this purpose, the optical properties of a L. japonicum canopy under solar incident light have been determined. In order to evaluate the natural shading and growing properties of a green canopy, the incident solar radiation spectrum (J), leaf canopy-filtered light spectrum (transmittance, T) and leaf-reflectivity spectrum (R) were measured. By reading the reflectivity spectrum, concomitant chlorophyll fluorescence signals (F) from Lygodium leaves were also detected at 760 nm, which corresponds to the O2-A Fraunhofer line. Our data suggests that the daily change in photosynthetic status (P) can be traced by monitoring the change in relative F in relation to the estimated heat loss (H) and measured J, R, and T using a series of practical equations designed to roughly estimate the gross photosynthetic response within the plant canopy. Using our equations, the photosynthetic capacity in the plant canopy structure could be simply simulated and predictable by optical sensors.

This paper discusses the awareness of green roof technology among Malaysian professionals in built environment industry and its potential in the country’s market. A total of 30 projects of local green roofs has also been identified and used in this study. Online survey is used as the tool to get feedback from the professionals who are the professional, in the construction discipline, the landscape architect, architect, developer, government officer, urban planner, project executive and also academicians.

" Extensive green roofs increase the fire hazard of our buildings and a green roof is a potential risk under windy conditions. " Are these statements true? The opinions of European and American experts might be different but we all want the same: Safety. How safe are green roofs? Fire & Wind On extensive green roofs Approximately 30 years ago the first " true " extensive green roofs were build in Germany and until today there are at least 2 billion square feet of extensive green roofs built. This equals at least 70 square miles of green roofs plus 4.5 new square miles every years. As it started it was a brand new technique and technology there was nothing like that done before. Sod roofs like Scandinavian sod roofs and the hanging gardens of Babylon have hardly anything in common with modern green roof technology and the building codes were different in former times too. When we continue we need to understand the term " green roof " or extensive green roof first. As the name " green roof " says the focus has been on the " green " part and to sustain the " green " over the year and over decades. During the last 30 years while green roofs were getting more successful the critical comments about safety issues increased as well. In the nineties first tests were discussed and performed and since the diversity in nature is endless, tests couldn't be representative. Worst case scenarios were discussed, tests of the vegetated parts, of the components and of the water proofing part were performed and compared. Experts were interviewed and the FLL started with the first drafts of their guidelines – already 25 years ago. The presentation will show how the topic " Fire and Wind " was approached in Germany, where the differences and the many parallel things are. The lecturer will also explain with examples where he sees the potential risks and what possible solutions will help to increase the trust in green roof technology. Since the nature laws in physics, chemistry and biology are very complex and everywhere the same the question will be raised whether existing standards should be copied and improved for certain unique situations in some extreme climate zone.

Perhaps one of the most effective solutions to be increasingly utilized has been the introduction of green roofs into the urban environment. Long popular in European countries, this technology is essentially in its infancy in the United States, but increased demand for ‘green’ solutions is bringing this concept to fore of the urban conversation. While simple in concept, green roofs offer myriad benefits that significantly address the most complex of urban concerns (e.g. stormwater management, the heat island effect, etc.) and we can expect to see this market continue to grow and blossom.

One of the most recent introductions to this market is one that offers perhaps the most integrated approach to addressing multiple urban, environmental, and alternative energy concerns:  the Solar Garden Roof system, which integrates solar panel technology with an extensive green roof solution – offering all of the benefits of both alternative technologies.

The interest towards green roof implementation has highly boosted in tropical cities as a means of mitigating high daytime temperatures and thermal discomforts experienced by urban dwellers. This scientific review plans to evaluate the impact of plant species and growing substrates to enhance the thermal comfort of roof greening through a comprehensive overview of the existing literature. Accounting for plant species selection, height, morphology, thickness of leaves, size of leaves, and color of leaves were identified as the decisive factors in mitigating thermal stress. Sedum, Ipomea pescaprae, Nephrolepis spp and Euphorbiaceae family plants were identified as suitable species for integrating into tropical rooftops. The impact of the substrate media is another significant factor that determines the heat mitigation potentials of rooftop greeneries. Depth and composition of the substrate, water holding capacity and porosity properties were the key factors that determine the thermal performance of a specific substrate. Burned sludge, perlite and peat mixture were revealed as ideal substrates to rooftops of urban landscapes owing to their high thermal performance indices. Hence, the appropriate plant species and substrate selection are vital to optimize the thermal benefits associated with roof greening in the tropical context.

Vegetated façade so called as green roof is actually an old and traditional system is rediscovered and implemented to address and ameliorate deleterious impacts on our urban environment. This paper reviews the evidence for the varied benefits of green roof as urban antidote in reducing the energy required for the maintenance of interior climates, increase sound insulation, fire resistance, increase in the life span of the roof, provide small-scale green open space, wildlife niche creation, air quality improvement and reduction of UHI effects. In addition, green roofs could also improve storm water attenuation, increase the aesthetic value of a building façade and provide visual relief from the city hustle bustle.

The roofs of buildings play an essential role in energy efficiency because a significant
amount of solar radiation is absorbed by roofs in hot weather and a significant amount of heat is lost
through roofs in cold weather. This paper is a systematic literature review about roofing methods for
flat roofs. Ten roofing methods are reviewed in this paper. They are concrete roof, cool roof, insulated
roof, roof garden, photovoltaic panels’ roof, biosolar roof, double-skin roof, roof ponds, skylight roof,
and wind catcher. The review covers each roof’s main features, heat flux reductions, payback periods,
and the appropriate climate for its implementation. Furthermore, the basic principles for selecting
appropriate roofing methods are discussed and future studies for integrating these roofing methods
are suggested. Some of these methods can eliminate the need of installing HVAC (Heating Ventilation
and Air-conditioning) systems and others can achieve a high percentage of heat reduction if they
are the right choice and they are implemented in the right circumstances. An incorrect selection
could result in mild to severe energy penalties. The review contributes to the increasing knowledge
about sustainable roofing and helps designers to increase building energy efficiency by selecting the
appropriate roofing method.

Bivalni prostor naših prednikov je bil odvisen od narave in prostora. Osnovni del bivališča je bila streha-zaklon, iz katere-ga se je kasneje dvignila hiša. Strešna kri-tina je danes nekaj samoumevnega, nekoč pa so na izbor primerne kritine vplivale človeku dane surovine. Na Slovenskem so bile hiše najpogosteje prekrite s slamo, pred prihodom opečne strehe pa tudi s skodla-mi, o katerih bomo govorili. Leseno kriti-no danes ohranjajo in obujajo predvsem na Gorenjskem in Koroškem. Znano je, da je bila kritina nekoč razširjena tudi na ob-močju Kočevske in Notranjske, kjer je bila izdelava skodel tudi že podrobno raziskana. Vmes leži Ribniška dolina. Kakšna je ribni-ška zgodba o izdelovanju skodel-šinder, kot ji pravimo pri nas?

Quality roofing is the cornerstone of a healthy home. Mistakes in roof replacement or repair can result in leaks, electrical shortages, and the general decay of your home's structural integrity. Because small mistakes can lead to big consequences, it's important to know the do's and don'ts before you begin any roof replacement.

Urban green infrastructure could represent an important mean for environmental mitigation, if designed according to the principles of restoration ecology. Moreover, if suitably executed, managed and sized, they may be assimilated to meta-populations of natural habitats, deserving to be included in the biodiversity monitoring networks. In this chapter, we combined automatised and expert opinion-based procedures in order to select the vascular plant assemblages to populate different microhabitats (differing in terms of light and moisture) co-occurring on an existing green roof in Zurich (Switzerland). Our results lead to identify three main plant species groups, which prove to be the most suitable for the target roof. These guilds belong to mesoxeric perennial grasslands (Festuco-Brometea), nitrophilous ephemeral communities (Stellarietea mediae) and drought-tolerant pioneer species linked to nutrient-poor soils (Koelerio-Corynephoretea). Some ruderal and stress-tolerant species refer...

The use of smart green technologies such as solar panels or green roofs on the top of buildings are identified as low-carbon infrastructure strategies. This work examines the roofs' potential in a densely built-up context, analyzing the effects of smart green technologies on energy savings and thermal comfort conditions at district scale. The methodology presented can be used to accurately estimate solar energy potential and green roof potential on existing building stock at national, municipal, district and building level, with direct application in energy efficiency policy design. With the support of a place-based approach, the methodology was applied to a district in the city of Turin (Italy). A 3D model was created, some scenarios have been investigated, and priorities of interventions have been established mapping the spatial distribution of different parameters. From the results, it is emerged that there is a significant potential in Turin, and the use of green technologies especially in critical areas with solar technologies can promote a more sustainable development of the city. Solar modules and green roofs have been used alternatively to maximize the benefits. The applicability of these technologies can be integrated in the Municipal Energy-Environmental annex of the Building Regulations of the city of Turin.

Roof bolting is the most popular type of support for underground mines’ workings. However, in Polish coal mines it is used only as a supplementary support. To raise the effectiveness and economic score of horizontal development works, JSW (Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa) started a project to introduce the independent rock bolting support in its mines. The key element of the project is the monitoring of mine workings supported with roof bolting, as appropriate control allows one to ensure a proper level of safety. The following work presents a monitoring system for mine working supported with roof bolting applied in the project, as well as results of the measurements obtained using this system. The aim of the monitoring was to prove that independent roof bolting provides a proper level of safety and thus is applicable in conditions of Polish underground coal mines, particularly Budryk mine. It was to be proved by the evaluation of data obtained from instrumented bolts, extensometers of d...

There is increasing awareness the world round regarding energy-efficient, environment-friendly space
cooling systems. Such systems become more important in developing countries like India, having acute power
shortage problems, especially if they are cost-effective. Integrated Inbuilt Roof Cooling System (IIRCS) is a low
cost, energy efficient, easy-to-maintain and non-polluting Active Solar Architecture System having promising
prospects of use in rural and urban areas for residential/commercial buildings, cattle sheds, etc. in hot, dry regions.
In an IIRCS, heat, from solar radiant energy and internal heat-load from occupants, appliances, etc. is carried away
by coolant, water circulated through piping system laid in the roof called Roof Piping System (RPS) and hot coolant
is cooled in a heat exchanger. The coolant is re-circulated in RPS. The paper presents Thermal Design
Optimization of an IIRCS using a java-based Simulation Program for modeling a BPHE-based IIRCS for a
building, 10mx10m with horizontal roof, followed by Costing.

Keywords: Active Solar Architecture, Inbuilt Roof Cooling System, BPHE, ETHE, Thermal Design Optimization.

Zazeleňovanie horizontálnych a vertikálnych častí budov nie je v súčasnosti ničím novým. Takmer v celej Európe (okrem stredomorských oblastí) ale aj v niektorých afrických krajinách vychádzal vývoj obydlí zo stavieb zahĺbených do zeme. V staroveku nachádzame zmienky o strešných záhradách, z ktorých mnohé boli veľkolepými architektonickými dielami. Azda najznámejším objektom s uplatnením prvkov strešnej, ale aj vertikálnej zelene sú takzvané „visuté záhrady kráľovnej Semiramis“, ktoré dal kráľ Nabukadnesar II. postaviť pravdepodobne pre svoju ženu Amytis, a sú jedným zo Siedmych divov Sveta. Zelené strechy pôsobia v krajine prirodzene, nenarúšajú ju a vytvárajú symbiózu s okolitým prostredím. Zvlášť pri ruinách hradov, kostolov či iných opustených stavbách, kde si prirodzenou sukcesiou nachádza zeleň svoje miesto osídľovaním puklín, korún múrov či rôznych výklenkov, sa použitie zelených striech javí ako najvhodnejší spôsob zastrešovania zakonzervovaných častí stavieb. Ak nie je možné z nejakého dôvodu prekryť rekonštruovaný objekt jeho pôvodným typom strechy s tradičnou krytinou, obvykle sa objekt zastreší pultovou strechou. Pri takomto type sa ako najvhodnejšie javí použitie extenzívnej zelenej strechy. Podobne možno postupovať pri obnovách klenieb či domurovaniach veľmi širokých múrov.

Urban rooftops are a potential source of water, energy, and food that contribute to make cities more resilient and sustainable. The use of smart technologies such as solar panels or cool roofs helps to reach energy and climate targets. This work presents a flexible methodology based on the use of geographical information systems that allow evaluating the potential use of roofs in a densely built-up context, estimating the roof areas that can be renovated or used to produce renewable energy. The methodology was applied to the case study of the city of Turin in Italy, a 3D roof model was designed, some scenarios were investigated, and priorities of interventions were established, taking into account the conditions of the urban landscape. The applicability of smart solutions was conducted as a support to the review of the Building Annex Energy Code of Turin, within the project ‘Re-Coding’, which aimed to update the current building code of the city. In addition, environmental, economic...

Rooftop garden system can become an absorbing. Also, rooftop gardens have positive impact on residents. In addition, urbanization has brought about a number of challenges such as greater ambient noise, increased environmental stressors and information overload. The aesthetic value of rooftop garden is considered important in cities where roof escapes are dominated by gray color and unattractive structures. The instant objective of this research was to examine the resident's preference of function of rooftop garden. The preferences of function of rooftop garden are examined. In this research a method presented quantitative-survey questionnaire distributed among of residents in The Heritage condominium in Selangor. The result is towards recognition of preference to elevate sustainable building and promoting the usage of rooftop gardening residential building. In conclusion most of participants release positive correlation with having rooftop garden in their living area. Furthermore, this study help to residents for receive a perfect environmental in their live area.

Urban rooftops are a potential source of water, energy, and food that contribute to make cities more resilient and sustainable. The use of smart technologies such as solar panels or cool roofs helps to reach energy and climate targets. This work presents a flexible methodology based on the use of geographical information systems that allow evaluating the potential use of roofs in a densely built-up context, estimating the roof areas that can be renovated or used to produce renewable energy. The methodology was applied to the case study of the city of Turin in Italy, a 3D roof model was designed, some scenarios were investigated, and priorities of interventions were established, taking into account the conditions of the urban landscape. The applicability of smart solutions was conducted as a support to the review of the Building Annex Energy Code of Turin, within the project ‘Re-Coding’, which aimed to update the current building code of the city. In addition, environmental, economic...

Urban green infrastructure could represent an important mean for environmental mitigation, if designed according to the principles of restoration ecology. Moreover, if suitably executed, managed and sized, they may be assimilated to meta-populations of natural habitats, deserving to be included in the biodiversity monitoring networks. In this chapter, we combined automatised and expert opinion-based procedures in order to select the vascular plant assemblages to populate different microhabitats (differing in terms of light and moisture) co-occurring on an existing green roof in Zurich (Switzerland). Our results lead to identify three main plant species groups, which prove to be the most suitable for the target roof. These guilds belong to mesoxeric perennial grasslands (Festuco-Brometea), nitrophilous ephemeral communities (Stellarietea mediae) and drought-tolerant pioneer species linked to nutrient-poor soils (Koelerio-Corynephoretea). Some ruderal and stress-tolerant species refer...

Featured Application: This work presents the analysis of the element of the 'roof' as a methodological approach to assess the renovation opportunities of existing rooftops, as a stimulus to mitigate the urban phenomena of heat island mitigation by focusing on the role of codes, policies, and regulations in cities. Abstract: Urban rooftops are a potential source of water, energy, and food that contribute to make cities more resilient and sustainable. The use of smart technologies such as solar panels or cool roofs helps to reach energy and climate targets. This work presents a flexible methodology based on the use of geographical information systems that allow evaluating the potential use of roofs in a densely built-up context, estimating the roof areas that can be renovated or used to produce renewable energy. The methodology was applied to the case study of the city of Turin in Italy, a 3D roof model was designed, some scenarios were investigated, and priorities of interventions were established, taking into account the conditions of the urban landscape. The applicability of smart solutions was conducted as a support to the review of the Building Annex Energy Code of Turin, within the project 'Re-Coding', which aimed to update the current building code of the city. In addition, environmental, economic, and social impacts were assessed to identify the more effective energy efficiency measures. In the Turin context, using an insulated green roof, there was energy saving in consumption for heating up to 88 kWh/m 2 /year and for cooling of 10 kWh/m 2 /year, with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 193 tCO2eq/MWh/year and 14 tCO2eq/MWh/year, respectively. This approach could be a significant support in the identification and promotion of energy efficiency solutions to exploit also renewable energy resources with low greenhouse gas emissions.