Green Roof Resource

I just got back from a trip to Scandinavia. While touring, I stopped in Malmö to visit the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute. I visited the Augustenborg Botanical Roof Garden and had a wonderful time touring the grounds (or rooftops). It’s a very nice facility and worth a visit if you find yourself in Sweden. The website has a lot of information about green roofs in addition to information on the projects at the botanical roof garden. I’ll try to post some pictures of my visit later this week.

While tracking down a reasonable estimate for an R-value for green roofs, I found this article on ivy-covered walls, Study on Thermal Function of Ivy-covered Walls, by Mr. Liao Zaiyi and Dr. Niu J.L. It has a brief bibliography at the end that may be helpful for tracking down energy information on green roofs in the future. By the way, I’m still searching for an estimate for an R-value. I know Charlie Miller through a value out at a green roof workshop last march. If anyone has an idea, send me a comment.

I came across this site today, WBDG: Extensive Green Roofs, which is part of the Whole Building Design Guide. Charlie Miller provides a nice summary of the technology, what green roofs are and what some of their benefits are. The WBDG provides information on building design according to buliding type, function, and design objectives and also includes some case studies.