SF Tool: Green Roofs Page
See green roofs guidance, information & tips on the SF Tool.
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Green roofs — also known as ‘vegetated roofs’ or ‘living roofs’ — are ballasted roofs consisting of a waterproofing membrane, growing medium (soil) and vegetation (plants) overlying a traditional roof. Well-designed, engineered and maintained green roofs provide multiple environmental, social, economic and aesthetic benefits.
GSA, which currently maintains nearly 2 million square feet of green roofs, has a long history of constructing and maintaining successful green roofs, dating back to the 1930's. Information about green roofs at GSA can be found on the agency’s Green Roof Tracker. More guidance and information about green roofs can be found at SF Tool.
Examples of GSA buildings with green roofs include:
Full report: The Benefits and Challenges of Green Roofs on Public and Commercial Buildings [PDF - 9 MB]
This report, commissioned by the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings, includes a literature review of 200 research studies, in-depth analysis of green roof benefits, an original cost-benefit analysis, discussion of challenges and best practices, and assessment of further research needs.
The benefits section of the report includes:
The report includes the cost benefit analysis for green roofs as well, and offers data including:
The report discusses best practices in detail on topics, including:
The report outlines research needs, including:
Visit SFTool.gov for more information on green roofs.
See green roofs guidance, information & tips on the SF Tool.
Green Roofs can:
Green Roofs: Benefits, Costs, Challenges & Opportunities:
Summary of GSA’s green roof report and its findings, from a presentation to the 2011 GreenGov Conference in Washington, DC:
Green Roofs: Benefits, Costs, Challenges & Opportunities
US EPA Green Roofs:
www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-green-roofs-reduce-heat-islands
The US Environmental Protection Agency provides information on green roofs as part of its Heat Island Mitigation program.
WBDG: Extensive Vegetative Roofs:
www.wbdg.org/resources/extensive-vegetative-roofs
The Whole Building Design Guide, a program of the National Institute of Building Sciences sponsored by numerous Federal agencies, provides information and guidance on green roofs.
National Park Service:
Installing Green Roofs on Historic Buildings
www.nps.gov/tps/standards/applying-rehabilitation/its-bulletins/ITS54-GreenRoofs.pdf
As part of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, the National Park Service provides guidance on how to properly install green roofs on historic buildings.