Green Roof Impact Heat Islands

Green roofs combat the urban heat island effect through three fundamental functions.

Green roof impact heat islands.

The report is a reminder that avoiding the worst effects of climate change must go beyond reducing emissions to adapting to changing weather. Trees green roofs and vegetation can help reduce urban heat island effects by shading building surfaces deflecting radiation from the sun and releasing moisture into the atmosphere. Green roofs provide shade remove heat from the air and reduce temperatures of the roof surface and surrounding air. Extreme heat events often affect our most vulnerable populations first.

The first is evapotranspiration which is the process of using heat in the air to evaporate water in plants and soil. Using green roofs in cities or other built environments with limited vegetation can moderate the heat island effect particularly during the day. Plants and soils evaporate moisture. Smart surfaces have also been shown to make infrastructure cooler and more resilient.

Researchers attributed this to the increasing issue of urban heat islands which in turn increased the severity of heat waves in city areas. Natural greenery in the cities was replaced by concrete yards. Green roofs and the urban heat island effect green roofs like other green spaces in cities can have a positive effect on the uhie. Heat island effect in cities is mainly because of non natural heat absorbing materials use in buildings and other manmade structures.