Green roofs

Overview

Green roofs were traditionally employed for insulation and increased resiliency in cold climate regions of Europe. Modern green roofs are a rapidly developing commercial market in Ontario. Their primary benefit is in maximizing evapotranspiration for water balance targets.

Green roofs are ideal for: Sites without significant space at ground level for infiltration, Zero-lot line projects with outdoor amenity requirements, Projects looking for accreditation with LEED v.4

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Incentives and Benefits

Ontario

City of Toronto updated their 'Eco roof' incentive program in 2017 to include grants for structural assessment and increased their scope to non-profit organisations [1].

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The quantity of water transpired (given off). Retained in plant tissues, and evaporated from plant tissues and surrounding soil surfaces. Quantitatively it is usually expressed in terms of depth of water per unit area during a specified period. e.g. mm/day

The combined loss of water to the atmosphere from land and water surfaces by evaporation and from plants by transpiration.

The accounting of inflow and outflow of water in a system according to the components of the hydrologic cycle.

The slow movement of water into or through a soil or drainage system.

Penetration of water through the ground surface.

The total mass of a pollutant entering a waterbody over a defined time period.

The net amount of something (e.g. chemical, such as phosphorus), calculated as the product of concentration and volume in a given time. Some BMPs significantly reduce loading of pollutants to the environment by reducing volume more so than concentration.