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Efforts Underway To Create More Local Green Roofs

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Aug 21, 2009 3:31 pm US/Eastern

Efforts Underway To Create More Local Green Roofs

PHILADELPHIA (KDKA) ― There is a new effort underway in the City of Pittsburgh to create more green roofs, which are covered in plants.

They are supposed to be good for the environment.

With all the plants and flowers, the roof of Conservation Consultants on the South Side looks like a park. And the roof on part of Fifth Avenue Place downtown has been transformed into a green space by Highmark.

There's about four to five inches of dirt on that roof and experts say there definite advantages to having that kind of roof. For one, it expands the life span of the roof and it also provides insulation to the building.

And that can translate to lower bills for heating and air conditioning.

"We're still looking into the cost savings … but it does insulate the building," said Phyllis Barber, the Highmark Sustainability Coordinator. "It keeps the UV rays off in the summer and it keeps it insulated in the winter.

Highmark, Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh and others have gotten together to encourage people to develop more green roofs.

Now, one is being developed on the Allegheny County Office Building downtown. Also, PNC is actually planning a green wall of plants on the side of one of its buildings downtown.

But Lindsay Baxter, who is from the Mayor's Office, estimates that there are less than 10 green roofs in the city right now. However, that's something she hopes will change.

"We're considering putting one on the City-County Building because our roof is due for a new roof," said Baxter. "So, its perfect timing, and I think for us the storm water benefits are one of the strongest."

The benefit there is less water running off the roof and into drainage systems and means the less likelihood of sewer overflows.

"Most cities, and Pittsburgh is one of them, have sewer overflow problems that occur regularly," said Robert Berghage, a Penn State horticulture professor. "The green roof, because it both retains some of the water and detains some of the water, is a good solution."

But there can be some drawbacks to green roofs.

Experts say they can cost two or three times what a standard roof costs. But they're expected to save money in the long run because green roofs are thought to last at least twice as long.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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