Page 6 - New England Condominium September 2021

6 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -SEPTEMBER 2021 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT Green Options to Maximize Your Roof From a Coat of Paint to a Community Garden BY DARCEY GERSTEIN On August 9, 2021, the United Nations inspections, repairs, and replacements to according to American Home Contrac- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate keep up and keep safe. All of this contrib- Change (IPCC) released a scathing report utes to the climate crisis. detailing the indisputable impacts that human activity have made on the plan- et—many of them reaching the point of and opportunities for addressing their days under 65ºF—and cooling degree intensive system, more akin to a rooftop irreversibility within the next generation climate impact—and many have to do days—days over 65ºF. In areas with more garden, requires a minimum of 6 to 12 or two. The most consequential effects with upgrades to their roofs. Such up- come from greenhouse gas emissions, grades can be as simple and inexpensive brainer. But even in a state like New Jer- which are responsible for approximately as applying a coating of reflective white sey, where heating degree days are more type of roof can include shrubs and trees, 1.1°C of warming since the latter half of paint, or as complex (and costly) as cre- the 19th century, according to the report. ating a communal roof deck or vegetable because the heat absorbed by your roof lations that make the roof suitable for ac- Considering that a 1.5ºC warming is pro- jected to occur over the next two decades, for environmental purposes. Each project need for greater amounts of air condition- and a 2ºC warming puts the planet in comes with its own potential for energy ing.” A cool roof can reflect up to 80% of storage, and habitat opportunities; inten- danger of heat extremes beyond tolerance savings, grants and incentives, quality of the sun’s UV rays, according to American sive systems have more potential for these thresholds for agriculture and human life enhancements, revenue generation, Home Contractors, and is as easy as in- health, according to the IPCC the time community-building, and property value. stalling lighter colored or reflective shin- for immediate, rapid, large-scale change These must be weighed against engineer- is now—right now, in fact. The World Green Building Council’s much weight can the roof support?), the Energy estimates that the cost of install- 2017 Global Status Report estimates that desires of the residents (perhaps especial- buildings alone are responsible for nearly ly those on the top floor), and of course, of installing a traditional roof, while ap- 40% of carbon emissions—putting much cost. of the onus for mitigation and remedia- tion of this climate catastrophe on the real estate sector. In fact, there is a certain first thing to know is what kind of roof symbiosis between buildings and the en- vironment: as hotter times get hotter and rises or individual HOA units with sloped a cool roof in 2010, when it replaced its elements can be combined with decking colder times colder, more energy is need- ed to keep buildings and their residents rises with flat roofs. A sloped-roof com- comfortable. As weather events become munity might opt for what is known as a derdale-based company that did the in- more frequent and intense, buildings “cool roof”—a reflective surface that can stallation, the project took 70 days, and must perform more frequent and intense be 50ºF less than a typical asphalt roof, was completed on time and on budget. Fortunately, residential and commer- cial buildings alike have great options portant to factor in heating degree days— garden—but all are considered “green” can transfer into your home, causing a tive use. Both provide stormwater bene- ing and structural concerns (e.g., how to existing shingles. The Department of tain some of the rainwater from going Know Your Roof In embarking on any roof project, the depending on the type of application. you’re working with. For example, low- roofs have different options than high- tors, based in Florham Park, New Jersey. “When making the decision for a cool rooted plants that require 2 to 4 inches of roof,” says the company’s rep, “it is im- cooling degree days, a cool roof is a no- common, a cool roof can still be a benefit, in addition to other materials and instal- gles, or having a cool roof coating applied down your roof during the summer, re- ing a cool roof is comparable to the cost provide an ecological oasis in a dense ur- plying coatings to an existing roof surface AIA, LEED AP, senior architect with the costs between 20¢ and $1 per square foot, recently-opeed New York office of engi- The Addison On The Ocean Condo- minium in Boca Raton, Florida, installed quartered in Skokie, Illinois. “Green roof original roof that was then 25 years old. to create areas where building residents According to Best Roofing, the Fort Lau- The company explains that the cool roof’s 15-year warranty means that “The Addi- son is still saving money on its monthly energy bills due to the cool roof’s highly reflective surface that reflects heat away rather than being absorbed into the build- ing. Lower building temperatures mean less energy spent on air conditioning. In fact, the cool roof system is so effective in lowering rooftop temperatures that it radically reduces energy costs and even extends the life expectancy of the roof.” Go Green A vegetation-covered roof is what many people think of as “green,” and will be referred to as such in the remainder of this story. In situations where it can be ap- plied, a plant-covered green roof can be expected to prolong the life of a conven- tional roof by at least 20 years, according to the experts. This is because the vegeta- tion prevents the roof surface from being exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and the deteriorating effects of precipita- tion and cold winds. There are two basic types of green roofs: extensive and intensive. Extensive systems are the types with short, shallow- soil, 12 to 40 pounds per square foot of roof area, and minimal maintenance. An inches of soil and a load-bearing capacity of 80 to 150 pounds per square foot. This fits, including insulation, water filtration, benefits. “Green roofs are a great way to cool straight into the storm sewer system, and ban environment,” says Giulia Alimonti, neering, architecture, and materials sci- ence consulting firm CTLGroup, head- can relax and enjoy their roof.” The city of Chicago was a pioneer in continued on page 13