Conservation

Native Green Roofs

TEMPERATURES OF GREEN ROOFS, WHITE ROOFS, AND BLACK-TOP ROOFS

Side view of metal insulated boxes that represent simulated green roofs with plants and soil (top), roofs covered with white material (middle), and roofs covered with traditional, black tar-based material (bottom).

Temperatures shown are real-time measurements updated every hour for each roof type, and include the temperature of the roof surface and within the insulated boxes (representing the building interior temperature). The outdoor air temperature is noted above the illustration.

By studying temperatures and rainwater capture capabilities of experimental roof tops at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Dr. Mark Simmons (the center’s restoration ecologist) and colleagues have determined that green roofs can cool buildings as well as helping to remove pollutants from and store storm water.