Insulation

Green roofs can be used to improve a buildings thermal performance.

Planted roof systems offer insulation, keeping the heat inside in the winter and the cool air inside in the summer.

Planting the roof surface dramatically reduces the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the base surface of the roof, especially during the summer months.

In winter, planted roofs reduce the building heat loss by three processes:

• The added mass and individuated properties of the system components increase the insulating effects of the roof.
• The biological activity in the roof zone of the planted system, which generates heat.
• The creation of a still layer of air (boundary layer) over the plants that reduces thermal loss.