Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Releases New Online Financing Course “Implementing Green Roofs With PACE Financing” On The Living Architecture Academy
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the industry association for professionals in the green roof and wall industry has released a new online offering on the Living Architecture Academy; Financing Green Roofs and Green Walls With PACE Financing is now available for purchase.
One of the biggest hurdles green roof and wall projects face is the initial cost barrier. The cost of a green roof can vary between an estimated $10 to $24 USD per square foot, compared to $2 to $6.50 USD per square foot for conventional roofing. This is a substantial upfront cost, however the benefits and cost savings acquired over the long term from green roofing are unrivaled. Green roofs have the capacity to reduce the urban heat island effect, regulate indoor building temperatures to save energy, improve air quality, manage stormwater runoff, improve biodiversity, and significantly increase the longevity of the building's waterproofing.
Nonetheless, despite the many benefits green roofs provide, numerous individuals cannot afford to pay the initial cost on their own. Reducing or eliminating this financial barrier is vital to the expansion and adoption of green roofing technologies on a broader, societal scale. The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing program is an alternative financing mechanism for green roofs and walls:
“The emergence of PACE financing for the long term funding of green roof design, implementation and maintenance is going to be a game-changer for many building owners who will now be able to finance green roof projects", said Steven Peck, GRP, Founder and President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. "This new course provides important details on how to access PACE financing for green roof projects and secure long term maintenance which is so critical to performance."
PACE programs allow property owners to finance the up-front cost of energy and other eligible improvements, which will then be paid back over time through a voluntary property tax assessment:
“With the PACE financing course, property owners will be able to understand how the PACE program works as well as the demonstrated benefits from projects that have used this financing mechanism,” said Michele Pitale, M.D., Managing Director, Retrofits with CounterpointeSRE. “This course is for those who want to learn more about alternative financing for their green roof and wall projects.”
PACE Financing for Green Roofs and Walls is available, along with other online training resources on the Living Architecture Academy.
See past GRHC conferences, symposia, and training courses. For information on upcoming virtual events please visit https://greenroofs.org/virtualevents
From the Living Architecture Monitor
