How can I convince my school to install a green roof?
May 1st, 2010 | 
Author: Green roofs are a really awesome concept: the roof of a building is converted into a foliage-covered wonderland! Basically, the roof is covered in grasses, flowers, mosses, whatever works for the area.
ANYWAYS, I plan on convincing my school to install one, but it is a little expensive, and it’s not a "rich" school, per se. How do I get them to agree that the environmental benefits are worth it?
Posted in Green Q&A | 
Tags: awesome concept, environmental benefits, flowers, foliage, grasses, green roofs, mosses, wonderland
They might well agree with your idea if you ask about it. There are environmental and economic benefits to having a green roof (see link below for ideas). But it will probably come down to money.
There might well be grants or funding available for doing something like that in your state/country (there are in the UK!). See if you can find out about this.
In the meantime, why not start small – get people into gardening – see if the younger kids can get a vegetable patch, for example and see if you and some of your mates can help them out with growing stuff. Do you do recycling? Does the school use recycled paper for printing handouts etc.? Start small and get people involved and enthusiastic. Tell the local papers what you’re doing! Your shcool will see that it benefits everyone to be green and start getting a good reputation – that it might make better still by getting a green roof (perhaps on a new building)!
A major obstacle would be the roof strength. Most roof structures are designed to carry a given amount of weight and allowing for snow loads if need be. Retrofitting can be terribly expensive, far beyond any potential benefits. So before stirring the pot too much, determine the feasibility of the concept
Good luck!
You can explain to them that a green roof will help solve leakage problems and protect the school from precipitation. Also, you should tell them that it would look more appealing and test scores might improve. They might get more government revenue to improve the school if they have a green rooftop.
Research, research, research.
You need to research the load capacities on the roof, the systems that are out there, cost, how it will be paid for, fundraising, heating and cooling savings, runoff abatement, pollution control.
It is wonderful to have a grand idea. Now go to work to implement that idea. Unless you can find a way for the school to pay for the green roof, it’s not going to happen. Also, I would talk to a Landscape Architect to find out if the roof can support a green roof, literally. If the roof does not have the ability to support even the minimal weight of a green system, the point is moot.
Now, if you REALLY want to get into this, you come up with solutions to all their questions. Consult experts. Get answers. Outline a plan for covering the costs of reinforcing the roof if need be, and purchasing and maintaining the system. How much will the project cost?
If you are truly dedicated to this and not some fly by night that doesn’t want to work to see your idea come to fruition, then you have a career ahead of you, and this is the start.
It’s very cool that your taking an interest in your school, community, and environment. A green roof is very beneficial to all and its environmental, economic and social benefits can be explained by the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Standards from the USGBC (United States Green Building Council). Please see their website below for more detail.
First of all, it may behoove your school to obtain LEED certification for its campus facilities as a general means of:
-meeting (and exceeding) particular local, state and federal government requirements in energy reduction, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental policy, etc.
-qualifying for particular available funding from the local, state and federal government as well as other private entities
-a general means of achieving recognition for your school
-further educating curious students like you first hand through the buildings you inhabit on many importance issues such as ecology, biodiversity, climate change, pollution, erosion, runoff, energy efficiency, water efficiency, renewable resources, sanitation, and health.
Installation of a green roof can earn up to 5 points toward LEED Certification in the following catagory points and I will try summarize their benefits for you but I encourage you to take a look at the material for yourself using the USGBC link below:
SS 5.1 Site Development- Protect or Restore Habitat
(given that you use native plants, your roof can promote wildlife and act as an "ecological stepping stone" (please research this teach if you are unfamiliar with it. I find it very relevant to the function of green roofs)
SS 5.2 Site Development- Maximize Open Space
(a green roof only applies toward this credit if your school is sited in a dense urban condition )
SS 6.1 Stormwater Design- Quantity Control
(By installing a green roof, you essentially keep a great deal of rain and storm water on your roof to nourish your planting. Thus you reduce the amount of water that reaches storm drains along with pollutants that it normally collect along the way stay out of the storm drain system and ultimately your community’s natural bodies of water.)
SS 6.2 Stormwater Design- Quality Control
(A green roof is also acting as a filter to all of the rainwater that will eventually seep through it and reach city storm drains. Whereas an asphalt roof for example doesnt retain any water and in fact contaminates the rainwater it comes in contact with before channeling it to storm drains.)
SS 7.2 Heat Island Effect- Roof
(You can achieve this by installing a green roof that covers 50% of your roof area or in conjunction with a high albedo roofing material. Both strategies reduce the heat island effect in addition to help insulating buildings)
There are also may other similar strategies with great environmental benefit you may want to explore in addition to green roofs that might be more feasible but also work great in tandem with a green roof: impervious paving, water efficient landscaping and on-site water collection in particular. But there are plenty more listed in the LEED standards which i recommend anyone take a look at and incorporate into buildings whether they aim to achieve LEED certification or not. Every little bit helps.
Good Luck! Your school is lucky to have you.