Penn State Green Roof

Reducing air conditioning costs.

Penn state green roof.

On an annual basis a 3 5 4 deep sedum green roof in central pennsylvania can retain approximately 50 60 of the annual rainfall. Penn state faculty and students are actively researching multiple components of green roof performance including storm water quantity and quality management energy balance plant selection plant performance plant installation techniques media components roof system components and managements and materials testing. And last a green roof could lessen the heating and cooling costs of the hotel lobby down below. Says beattie in scandinavia and the british isles it s rooted in history.

In such all new buildings will utilize green technologies and many will have green roofs. Green roofs are increasing in popularity in the us because of the benefits they provide over traditional roofs such as reducing stormwater runoff and improving runoff quality. Penn state is committed to developing and sustaining a green campus. The first green roof technologies class in the nation was also created at penn state in 2005 and is taught every spring semester with students from many disciplines participating.

In the cool season months less water is retained 20 30 on average figure 1. Back at penn state beattie an associate professor of ornamental horticulture began to look into the idea. It s not a new idea. Retention occurs primarily in the summer months from may through september when as much as 100 of the rain can be retained.

The office of the physical plant has been proactive in applying our research and promoting green roof technologies as one solution to storm water management issues on our campus. Green roofs on campus. Lengthening roof membrane life. In such all new buildings will utilize green technologies and many will have green roofs.

Green roof media testing penn state college of agricultural sciences. Green roofs are unique in that they have the ability to capture and retain a volume depth of rain from each rainstorm. Research at penn state has shown that green roofs provide considerable reduction in the volume of stormwater leaving a developed site and they reduce the peak rates of runoff. Penn state is committed to developing and sustaining a green campus.

Currently there are five large scale green roofs on campus forest resources building student health center dickinson law school millennium science complex and the root cellar behind.