Green roofs and walls can provide a myriad of energy benefits, from moderating heat through the building envelope, to improving solar PV efficiency, to reducing the urban heat island, and more. A new report provides an exhaustive summary and literature review of these benefits and how designers can maximize them on their projects.

A lot has been said and written about green roofs and fire safety which is inaccurate. Regulations and norms can vary from country to country or even city to city. Gaps in research on fire and green roofs means we are left to draw conclusions from private research or extrapolations from research conducted on standard roofing systems.

Ohio University’s Schoonover Building green roof emerged as a place where faculty and students could study biological, environmental, psychosocial, and other benefits of green infrastructure, exceeded initial expectations as a multidisciplinary learning site.