Green roof or solar? It turns out both is best

The benefits of combining star sheet installations with greenish roofs has been confirmed by caller research, which demonstrates important improvements successful vigor production, stormwater filtration and astir surprisingly, a large summation successful carnal biodiversity.

The study, led by UTS researchers Peter Irga, Fraser Torpy and Robert Fleck acceptable retired to measurement the advantages of greenish roofs successful cities, and was supported by Lendlease and Junglefy.

Undertaken successful Barangaroo successful cardinal Sydney, the researchers compared the accepted photovoltaic (PV) solar system connected International House with a combined PV star and integrated Junglefy greenish extortion strategy (biosolar roof) connected Daramu House implicit an eight-month play that spanned summertime and winter.

"We utilized a unsocial experimental design, wherever the beingness of the greenish extortion was the sole variable, with some survey sites successful the aforesaid geographic determination and of the aforesaid height, size, and shape," said Chief Investigator, Dr. Peter Irga.

The probe recovered that surface temperatures connected the greenish extortion were importantly lower, successful immoderate cases by up to 20°C during summer. This improved the star vigor output by 3.6 percent, equating to $2595 implicit the eight-month duration of the project.

"The ratio of star panels decreases erstwhile temperatures emergence supra 25°C, truthful by bringing down the aboveground somesthesia connected emblematic blistery Sydney summertime days, the greenish extortion enables the star PV strategy to make much electricity," said Irga.

"The aboveground somesthesia simplification shows however greenish roofs could play an important portion successful combating the urban vigor land effect, a large contented successful our cities."

The greenish extortion besides absorbed astir 9 tons of greenhouse gasses, the equivalent of planting 110 trees.

While galore of the results confirmed predicted benefits, the level of biodiversity observed connected the metropolis rooftop took the researchers by surprise.

"Animals thrived connected the greenish roof, with insect and vertebrate beingness expanding 7 and fourfold, respectively," said Principal Investigator Robert Fleck.

"Our camera traps recorded images of the autochthonal Australian Blue Banded bee, Australian stingless bees, arsenic good arsenic Spotted Doves and Australian Ravens.

"The astir breathtaking find was of a deceased vertebrate that appeared to person been attacked by a predatory vertebrate specified arsenic a peregrine falcon, which suggests that the municipality extortion is supporting analyzable nutrient web systems," said Fleck.

Additionally, stormwater modeling connected some roofs showed the biosolar extortion could trim flows into stormwater drains by much than 600 L per 2nd compared to the accepted roof.

"This shows that greenish roofs are a almighty instrumentality successful reducing the impacts of flooding during tempest events, peculiarly wherever clime instability is starring to longer, drier periods and much aggravated tempest events," said Irga.

Insulation was different payment of the integrated system, preventing vigor transferring wrong the gathering arsenic good arsenic retaining vigor successful cooler periods.

Lucy Sharman, Sustainability Manager astatine Lendlease said integration of greenery into our municipality environments is captious to make much liveable cities that tin mitigate the impacts of our changing climate.

"This probe has made a invaluable publication to our knowing of the multiple, measurable benefits of greenish roofs.

"We anticipation this highly affirmative collaboration betwixt industry, researchers and authorities inspires different organizations to look astatine the benefits of biosolar systems," said Sharman.

Jock Gammon, the co-founder of Junglefy, the institution that installed the green roof, agrees.

"The clip is present to crook each rooftop greenish and make captious connections betwixt people, places and plants," helium said.

UTS researchers are present moving with Junglefy to place ways plant-based systems tin power gathering ventilation and somesthesia power to trim vigor use.

---

---

More information: Green Roof & Solar Array—Comparative Research Project Final Report July 2021: opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/150142/2/City%20of%20Sydney%20Final%20Report%20EPI%20R3%20201920005.pdf