More Than 30 Jurisdictions Implementing Green Roof Policies

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Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has reported that more than 30 jurisdictions are either requiring or offering incentives for implementing green roofs in their areas. They have also come out with their 2019 Green Roof and Wall Policy in North America. This gives an overview of incentives, regulations and best practices currently in place throughout the country. Some of the cities mandating green roof requirements include: Chicago, Denver, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and  Washington DC. Other cities who do not currently have mandatory requirements implemented but offer incentives include: Austin, TX; Hoboken, NY; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA and Portland, ME.

Pointers Before Installing a Green Roof

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The Brownstoner recently published an article highlighting the things you should know before installing a green roof. It is a good tool for those who are looking to educate themselves a bit more on green roofing, and/or are considering a green roof for their residence or project. 

How Cities Are Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

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Central Park North End Revamp Includes Green Roof

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The North End of Central Park is getting a much needed facelift, and 6sqft.com took a further look into the details of the numerous revamps that will be included in the $150 million dollar renovations. 

TSA at Appleton International Airport in WI Gets Green Living Wall

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The Appleton, Wisconsin TSA security checkpoint recently installed a 276 square foot green wall. In an article published on greenroofs.com, designer Mitchell Walker says "The living wall serves to calm and de-stress the checkpoint."  

State Doubles Down on Efforts to Create More Green Roofs

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The Brooklyn Eagle published a brief article on how New York State has recently voted to increase green roofing tax breaks for building owners who install green roofs. According to reports, there are currently only seven buildings in NYC that have taken advantage of the tax break since it was implemented a decade ago. Only one in every 1,000 buildings in New York City have green roofs.  

World's Largest Urban Garden to Open on Paris Rooftop

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In 2016, Paris pledged to have over 10 million square feet of green roofs and walls by 2020. Forbes reported on the new project in the south western suburbs of Paris where 150,000 square feet of flat roofing will be transitioned into the world's largest urban farm, and the largest green roof in Europe to date. This rooftop garden won't only be the largest to date, it will also feature state of the art growing practices such as growing crops vertically, allowing more crops to be grown in a smaller area. The farm, slated to open in 2020, will grow more than 30 species and will feed the local community through food box subscriptions, as well as feeding the rooftop restaurant kitchens. 

Green Roof Virtual Summit Being Held in November

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo Being Held in late November

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This year, Greenbuild is being held from November 20 - 22nd in Atlanta. Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Thousands of building professionals from all over the world come together at Greenbuild for three days of outstanding educational sessions, renowned speakers, green building tours, special seminars, and networking events. Greenbuild is a perfect opportunity to meet with green building colleagues, network with leading industry professionals and learn from international representatives from around the world. Each year, Greenbuild and its host committee develops a robust roster of events to complement the conference and expo.

New York Build 2020

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New York Build is the largest construction show at the Javits Center and is officially supported by the State of New York. New York Build covers all sectors of the construction industry and enables attendees to do business and network with all the key players in building, construction & design industries in New York and the Tri-state region.

Washington, DC RiverSmart Rooftops Green Roof Rebate Program

Washington DC's RiverSmart Rooftops Green Roof rebate program has expanded, with rebated of up to $15 per square foot based on location. Residential, commercial and institutional rebates are available on a first come, first serve for qualified properties. There is no size restriction for applicants. 

Department of Environmental Protection NYC Grant

Privately owned properties within New York City are eligible for the environmental protection grant from the DEP. Some of the main requirements for the grant include but are not limited to, project cost of at least $35,000, providing twenty years of maintenance, and having a structural analysis showing the load bearing capacity of the roof is capable of handling the design. The DEP grant holds four workshops in 2019 to get a better grasp on the requirements and application process. The remaining date for the workshops this year is December 11th. This green infrastructure grant program has a rolling application process, which means no deadlines so applications can be filed any time of the year.

PACE Financing

PACE: Property Assessed Clean Energy - Mechanism for financing energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on private property. Property owners that voluntarily choose to participate in a PACE program repay their improvement costs over a set time period—typically 10 to 20 years—through property assessments, which are secured by the property itself and paid as an addition to the owners' property tax bills. A PACE assessment is a debt of property, meaning the debt is tied to the property as opposed to the property owner(s). In turn, the repayment obligation may transfer with property ownership if the buyer agrees to assume the PACE obligation and the new first mortgage holder allows the PACE obligation to remain on the property. This can address a key disincentive to investing in energy improvements because many property owners are hesitant to make property improvements if they think they may not stay in the property long enough for the resulting savings to cover the upfront costs. More than 30 states plus the District of Columbia have C-PACE (Commercial PACE) enabling legislation and more than $500 million in projects have been financed.

Philadelphia Offers Rebates and Tax Incentives for Green Roofing and Storm Water Management