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Abstract
Green roofs have the potential to improve the thermal performance of a roofing system through shading, insulation, evapotranspiration and thermal mass, thus reducing a building’s energy demand for space conditioning. To quantify the thermal performance and energy efficiency of green roofs in Canada, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has constructed an experimental facility, the Field Roof Facility (FRF), in its Ottawa campus. A median divider separates the roof of the FRF in two equal areas: a generic extensive green roof and a modified bituminous roof. Both roof sections are instrumented to allow direct comparison of the thermal performance the Green Roof and the Reference Roof. There are also two green roof installations in the City of Toronto being monitored for the same parameters (see paper by Barry Gutteridge). Observations from the FRF showed that a generic extensive green roof could reduce the temperature and the daily temperature fluctuation experienced by the roof membrane significantly in the warmer months (spring and summer). The Green Roof also significantly moderated the heat flow through the roofing system and reduced the average daily energy demand for space conditioning due to the heat flow through the roof in the summer by more than 75%. The Green Roof was more effective in reducing heat gain than heat loss.
Green roofs have the potential to improve the thermal performance of a roofing system through shading, insulation, evapotranspiration and thermal mass, thus reducing a building’s energy demand for space conditioning. To quantify the thermal performance and energy efficiency of green roofs in Canada, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has constructed an experimental facility, the Field Roof Facility (FRF), in its Ottawa campus. A median divider separates the roof of the FRF in two equal areas: a generic extensive green roof and a modified bituminous roof. Both roof sections are instrumented to allow direct comparison of the thermal performance the Green Roof and the Reference Roof. There are also two green roof installations in the City of Toronto being monitored for the same parameters (see paper by Barry Gutteridge). Observations from the FRF showed that a generic extensive green roof could reduce the temperature and the daily temperature fluctuation experienced by the roof membrane significantly in the warmer months (spring and summer). The Green Roof also significantly moderated the heat flow through the roofing system and reduced the average daily energy demand for space conditioning due to the heat flow through the roof in the summer by more than 75%. The Green Roof was more effective in reducing heat gain than heat loss.
Date
5/2003
5/2003
Author(s)
Karen Liu, Bas Baskaran
Karen Liu, Bas Baskaran
Page(s)
Keyword(s)
green roof; thermal performance
green roof; thermal performance