Oberlin`s green roofs save energy, money
Alicia Castelli
OBERLIN - The Harkness co-op at Oberlin College may be the site of Lorain County`s first “green roof” and is one way the college is striving to be more environmentally friendly.
A green roof is just what it sounds like - instead of asphalt shingles, slate or industrial spray foam roofing materials, the roof on the south side of Harkness is green with sod and plants.
Harkness` rooftop spot was chosen by Nathan Engstrom, Oberlin`s first coordinator for the Office of Environmental Sustainability who has just completed his first year on the job.
The roof, installed last fall, is a modular grid system that arrives already planted and ready for installation. It is made in part with recycled plastic materials, which makes it flexible and lightweight.
“Planning for this project was done last summer, so student and faculty involvement was very minimal,” Engstrom said via e-mail. “Primarily my office worked on this with our Facilities Planning and Construction office.”
The old roof at Harkness was leaking, and the idea for a green roof came out of a planning session for its repair.
“It was part of a campuswide effort to implement our comprehensive environmental policy and make green building a standard,” Engstrom said. “Due to the fact that the old roof also served as a patio space that students living in the Harnkess residence hall frequently use, we wanted to make sure to keep the space usable while at the same time incorporate new technology on campus.”
The project cost $36,045.
“Because the roof we were replacing included limestone pavers, the cost of the green roof was actually less than what it would have been to simply replace the old roof and put it back the way it originally was,” Engstrom said.
Energy savings, storm water runoff conservation and sound insulation are just a few of the benefits of the green roof system, the experts say. A recent study contends that if the rooftops of all the buildings in Chicago were green, the city would reap nearly $100 million in annual energy savings.
In Oberlin, the added weight of soil, plants and water wasn`t an issue.
“Because the roof was originally designed to support limestone pavers, the weight of the green roof system is actually less than the original roof,” Engstrom said.
The green roof system was simply installed over the existing structural concrete deck.
Snow loads are already accounted for in the structure of the roof, and the weight of water held by the soil does not add significantly to the weight of the roof system, he said.
As another way of saving energy, the college plans another energy savings contest in the dorms. It was a huge success last year, and college officials plan on doing again from March 31 through April 13.
The college also is developing a comprehensive monitoring system in dormitories that will track students` water and electricity consumption. One campus building already has 150 environmental sensors installed throughout the inside and outside to monitor the flow of energy.
Once fully operational, this system will help the students cut back on their energy usage by shortening showers and turning off lights and computers when they`re not in use.
Students can visit a Web site to see their energy usage in real time.
The college also has a coalition of students advocating for full implementation of Oberlin College`s Environmental Policy, which was adopted in March 2004 by the Board of Trustees. The policy addresses everything from energy production and consumption to building construction and maintenance, land use and transportation.
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7155 or metro@chroniclet.com.
What are green rooftops?
Green roofs are sweeping the globe, according to Internet research.
The United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland and Australia all have buildings featuring green roofs, where people plant sod and plants on rooftop structures to help conserve energy.
A typical, one-story building with a grass roof and 10 centimeters of growing medium can save 25 percent in summer cooling needs. Other benefits include:
- Protection of roof membrane. Green roofs last twice as long as conventional roofs, resulting in decreased maintenance and savings in replacement costs.
- Savings on energy heating and cooling costs
Sound insulation
- Reduction in HVAC equipment on new or retrofitted buildings
- Reduction in amount of standard insulation used
- Reduction or elimination of roof drains
- Storm water management
- Green outdoor space for meetings, day care or recreation
- Aesthetic appeal
- Food production. A hotel in Vancouver saved an estimated $30,000 a year in food costs by growing herbs, flowers and vegetables on its green roof.
- Faster municipal approval for new projects
- Potential to reduce storm water/wastewater charges
- Potential to reduce the size of storm water management ponds or cisterns, which saves money
- Potential grants relating to energy efficiency
- Can score more than seven credits under the United States` Green Building Council LEED certification system
- Potential for greenhouse gas emissions trading credits from energy savings
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Filed by Alicia Castelli March 5th, 2008 in Local and State.
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