This Earth Day, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled PlaNYC, a multifaceted, long-term framework for the greening of New York City. Some elements of the plan involve the promotion of green building practices, including green roofs. The following excerpt is taken from the Water Quality section of the report:
The City has good reason to promote green roofs in the five boroughs. Besides their aesthetic advantages, green roofs have several environmental benefits. For individual buildings, they provide insulation against cold and act as a shield against the sun's rays, decreasing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. On a larger scale, they can reduce the urban heat-island effect, which often makes Manhattan a few degrees hotter than outlying areas. They absorb rainwater, alleviating pressure on the city's sewer system. They reduce air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide and filtering out particulate matter.
Green roofs come in two types: extensive and intensive. Extensive roofs, which require only one to five
inches of soil, can support grasses and flowers. Intensive roofs, which require deeper soil, can support larger plants like trees and shrubs.
Several companies in the New York City area offer green roof design and build services. Balmori Associates, based in Manhattan, and Greener by Design, based in Pelham, designed and built the green roof at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens. At 30,000 square feet, this is the largest green roof installation in the city. Manhattan-based Mingo Design also has green-roof experience, as does Green Engineering Project Construction (GEPC), which has offices in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, and which recently participated in the New York Botanical Garden Second Annual Green Roof Conference.
Green roofs typically cost about $8 to $10 more per square foot than regular roofs, and maintenance costs are higher, but the money saved through lower energy costs and the new city tax incentive will help offset this extra cost. Hopefully, in the near future, we'll be seeing a lot more green on the skyline.
Starting in 2007, the City will begin providing incentives for green roofs ... New York City will support the installation of extensive green roofs by enacting a property tax abatement to off-set 35% of the installation cost of a green roof. The pilot incentive will sunset in five years, when it will be reassessed for extension and inclusion of other technologies.
The City has good reason to promote green roofs in the five boroughs. Besides their aesthetic advantages, green roofs have several environmental benefits. For individual buildings, they provide insulation against cold and act as a shield against the sun's rays, decreasing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. On a larger scale, they can reduce the urban heat-island effect, which often makes Manhattan a few degrees hotter than outlying areas. They absorb rainwater, alleviating pressure on the city's sewer system. They reduce air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide and filtering out particulate matter.Green roofs come in two types: extensive and intensive. Extensive roofs, which require only one to five
inches of soil, can support grasses and flowers. Intensive roofs, which require deeper soil, can support larger plants like trees and shrubs.Several companies in the New York City area offer green roof design and build services. Balmori Associates, based in Manhattan, and Greener by Design, based in Pelham, designed and built the green roof at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens. At 30,000 square feet, this is the largest green roof installation in the city. Manhattan-based Mingo Design also has green-roof experience, as does Green Engineering Project Construction (GEPC), which has offices in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, and which recently participated in the New York Botanical Garden Second Annual Green Roof Conference.
Green roofs typically cost about $8 to $10 more per square foot than regular roofs, and maintenance costs are higher, but the money saved through lower energy costs and the new city tax incentive will help offset this extra cost. Hopefully, in the near future, we'll be seeing a lot more green on the skyline.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment