Green roofs are unique environments -- they are remote, they experience extremes of temperature and water availability, and are designed to fulfill a number of functions, primarily stormwater mitigation and heat-load reduction.
For this reason, extensive green roofs use plant species such as Sedum which are extremely drought and cold resistant. Despite this hardiness, even these plants will not survive extreme periods of drought, and poor plant survival affects the functioning (fast stormwater removal) from the substrate layer. |
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It is the interplay between substrate physical properties such as water-holding capacity and aeration that determine the efficiency of green roofs. Sensing these properties in real-time will allow us to not only monitor roof functionality, but integrate automated irrigation water applications to maintain maximal plant performance. This will be even more important in the future, when LEED standards start to integrate grey (waste) water recovery systems into building design. |
