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Honestly thought green roofs were just a gimmick until I saw one work firsthand
Tbh I was that guy rolling my eyes at every spec calling for a vegetated roof on a strip mall. Then I walked a 3 year old installation on a 20,000 sq ft building in Portland that had zero stormwater discharge during a 2 inch rain event. The owner showed me their utility bills and the cooling costs dropped 12% compared to the asphalt roof next door. Has anyone else seen real numbers that changed your mind on something you were dead set against?
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gonzalez.vera12d ago
I mean, what was the payback period on that 12% though? That's the thing I always wonder about with green roofs. Like, did they have to pony up 2x the cost of a regular roof and wait 15 years to break even? Maybe it's just me but I feel like the math only works if you're already in a city with stormwater fees that are crazy high, or you get some kind of tax credit for the installation. Otherwise you're basically just spending a ton of money for bragging rights at parties. Did they mention if there was a grant or something that helped offset the initial cost?
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Portland's rain jokes aside, 12% is just bragging rights until you factor in the installation cost.
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