A recent trend in NYC has developers and homeowner’s alike turning wasted rooftop spaces into living green roofs. The roofs are a system of waterproof membranes partially or completely covered with plants, tree’s or grasses. One of the most popular rooftop plants is sedum, known for its absorbent leaves and hardy nature.
Green roofs lower energy costs by providing insulation, absorb rainwater run off and help reduce pollution. Green roofs can absorb up to 70% of rainwater, making it appealing to New Yorkers since the excessive rainwater run off has been burdening their drainage systems which then overflows with raw sewage.
The rooftop trend is in part due to tax incentives and grants that have been given since 2008 for installing green roofs. The costs of converting the roofs to green roofs have also fallen. Green roofs can increase the roof life span dramatically while also increasing the real estate value.
Cool Roofs, another green roof technology has been one of the focuses of the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. The NYC CoolRoofs Project’s website claims 1,355,869 square feet of rooftops have been painted with a white reflective coating in the last year. White roofs cool the roof tops, lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions and the heat island effect.
Saving money, beautifying the city, and lowering the city’s heat index by converting empty rooftops. New York City is catching up fast to other US cities in the push to go green.
