Friday, August 29, 2014

Roof Talk-101 Focus On Skylights, Daylighting & Solar Collectors

Standing Seam Solar System

MetalTech

MT Solar PV Standing Seam roofing utilizes photovoltaic technology to provide energy to the building. The standing seam profile combined with the solar cells creates an excellent eco-friendly solution for any building project. Because the paneling used is fabricated with sustainable materials such as zinc, this roofing application is ideal for use in green construction projects as well.

Solar Mounting and Racking Systems

TRA-Mage

Each and every component in the TRA-Mage Solar Mounting line is designed to create a perfect foundation for solar panel systems. The company offers flush mount – shingle, slate, standing seam and tile, ballasted, elevated, ground mount and awning solutions.

Integral Curb Skylight With Guard

Plasteco, Inc.

Plasteco offers a complete line of commercial, industrial and architectural skylights in acrylic and glass glazing. Pictured is Model 209 with an integral curb and FallGuard® skylight screen, which can also be installed on existing skylights to meet OSHA 1926.501. The models are available for acrylic dome skylights, standing seam skylights and corrugated fiberglass panels used in metal roofs.

Translucent Skylights and Wall Systems

Major Industries, Inc.

Guardian 275® translucent skylights and wall systems provide energy-saving, glare-free natural light while offering enhanced thermal performance over traditional daylighting systems. They feature a lightweight sandwich panel design with advanced face sheet technology and built-in moisture management that ensures long-term performance — all backed by industry-long warranties.

Premium Daylighting Solutions

Firestone Building Products

Firestone SunWave SMRT™ (Solar Motion Response Technology) Daylighting System provides better performance and sustained savings. Using the latest in GPS technology and mirrors, SunWave SMRT actively tracks the sun’s movement to bring high levels of diffused natural light into buildings, allowing businesses and schools to reduce their energy use for lighting by up to 50-80 percent.

Prismatic Skylight

Carlisle-SynTec

The SunWeld™ Prismatic Skylight offers maximum diffused light resulting in increased energy savings and value. The unique computer-designed tri-arch dome shape manufactured from two layers of high-impact acrylic sheet with a K 12 prism pattern maximizes diffused Visible Light Transmission (VLT) and ensures superior mechanical and thermal properties.

Freestanding Skylight Fall Protection

Garlock Safety Systems

Sky-Dome™ is one-piece, freestanding, lightweight system that prevents people from falling through skylights. To use, simply set in place and walk away — no mechanical attachment to the skylight or roof is required. Features include all-steel construction and a powder coated finish in safety yellow. BIM objects are available for free download at ARCAT.

Solid-State Skylights

VTECH Industries

VTECH Industries’ patented materials and manufacturing processes offer the first and only fully encapsulated, Solid-State Skylight that exceeds all required codes (including Miami-Dade County), surpasses all industry standards, and is thermal efficient, sustainable product that will not leak, warp, or require any maintenance, according to the company.

Prismatic Skylights

Acralight

Acralight now features the AcraStar XL Prismatic Skylight and the AcraStar XL Plus with Infra-red, which features heat reduction technology for energy efficiency. The company also offers the Vertex OSHA Compliant Skylight, the NanoStar Skylight with Lumira Aerogel translucent insulation, and the AcraStar HR Series hurricane resistant Miami / Dade County Approved skylights.

Solar Roofing System

CertainTeed

The Apollo® Solar Roofing System features highly efficient, integrated polycrystalline solar panels. Each slim, 12-pound module features 14 high-efficiency polycrystalline silicon solar cells that absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. Apollo is durable, resistant to wind uplift, and can easily be installed on an existing or new roof. It is offered in pre-engineered kits containing all components necessary for installation.

Roof Hatch With Skylight

Bilco

Bilco’s Type GS roof hatch offers the security and convenience of a roof hatch with the added benefit of a skylight. The clear polycarbonate dome does not require a fall protection screen and is coated for UV resistance. Hatches feature aluminum construction, full gasketing for weathertightness, and lift assistance for easy one-hand operation.

Solar Thermal Collectors

Sun Master

Sun Master unveils the next development in solar thermal technology and presents a new collector that includes all necessary installations and can be very simply mounted on any roof — with no need to install a separate electricity or water supply.

Tube Skylight

Owens Corning

Owens Corning recently introduced the Illuminator™ Tube Skylight, a cost-effective alternative to traditional skylights. The Illuminator Tube Skylight provides up to 500 watts of evenly-distributed natural light and is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty, offering homeowners complete coverage against manufacturing defects for as long as they own their home. The one-piece seamless flashing is designed to prevent leaking and is easy to install, with standard installation taking 1-3 hours. A Solar Powered Dimmer is available for all 10-inch Illuminator™ Tube Skylight kits.

ROOFTEC-LLC and ROOFGUARD-LLC has been installing commercial roofing systems for over 30 years. We have the solutions you are looking for if you desire a new commercial roof or need a re-roof. ROOFTEC-LLC only uses the best products and installation practices to insure you have a worry free commercial roof. For more information visit us at. www.rooftec-llc.com and we also invite you to Like Us on our RoofTec-LLC Facebook Page .

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Roof Talk-101 Top Five Benefits of a Green Roof

Green roofs can be installed on a wide range of buildings, from industrial facilities to private residences. They can be as simple as a 2-inch covering of hardy groundcover or as complex as a fully accessible park complete with trees. Green roofs are becoming popular in the United States, with roughly 8.5 million square feet installed or in progress as of June 2008.2A green roof, or rooftop garden, is a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop. Green roofs provide shade and remove heat from the air through evapotranspiration, reducing temperatures of the roof surface and the surrounding air. On hot summer days, the surface temperature of a green roof can be cooler than the air temperature, whereas the surface of a conventional rooftop can be up to 90°F (50°C) warmer.1

Benefits and Costs

In addition to mitigating urban heat islands, the benefits of green roofs include:

Reduced energy use: Green roofs absorb heat and act as insulators for buildings, reducing energy needed to provide cooling and heating.
This apartment building in Portland, Oregon, is among the 6 acres (24,300 m2) of green roofs in the city, as of 2007. Many roofs remain candidates to become green roofs. (Photo courtesy of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services)

Reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions: By lowering air conditioning demand, green roofs can decrease the production of associated air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Vegetation can also remove air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions through dry deposition and carbon sequestration and storage.
Improved human health and comfort: Green roofs, by reducing heat transfer through the building roof, can improve indoor comfort and lower heat stress associated with heat waves.
Enhanced stormwater management and water quality: Green roofs can reduce and slow stormwater runoff in the urban environment; they also filter pollutants from rainfall.
Improved quality of life: Green roofs can provide aesthetic value and habitat for many species.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Roof Talk-101 There Are Green Roofs and Then There Are Smart Green Roofs

Green Roof

Rob O'Flanagan,Mercury staff

Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph School of Environmental Science associate professor and chair in Environmental Horticulture, is developing a new kind of green roof that uses smart technology. A partnership between U of G and global software company SAP is seeing the system being tested on local rooftops, including here on Skyline's Gummer Building.

ByRob O'Flanagan

GUELPH — There are some growing roofs in Guelph — one over a Hillside Festival stage, another atop city hall. But the University of Guelph and the global software company SAP are taking the concept up a high-tech notch.

Together they are conducting research and development on 'smart' green roofs — roofs made from special plants and special soil that absorb storm water, regulate building temperatures, and use automated monitoring and maintenance systems.

If widely used, the roofs could vastly reduce air conditioning costs and storm water management costs, and prolong the life of roofing decks, developers of the concept say.

Guelph's Gummer Building, headquarters of Skyline Group of Companies, is growing one of two pilot roofs in the Guelph area. The other is on a farmhouse north of Ariss.

The idea was developed by Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph associate professor in the School of Environmental Science, and chair of the Environmental Horticulture and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

Zheng was up on the Gummer Building roof recently conducting a quick overview of downtown Guelph rooftops, pointing out that when a hard rain falls, all the water runs off roofs, down streets and into storm drains. When torrential rains fall, as they did in Toronto and Calgary over the summer, systems become overloaded.

"It costs tons of money to manage storm water," said Zheng, who was joined on the roof by research associate Greg Yuristy, and U of G Catalyst Centre industry liaison Tyler Whale. The Catalyst Centre is working to commercialize the smart green roof.

The green roof, Zheng said, can eliminate vast amounts of storm water by absorbing heavy rains and using them to nourish carbon absorbing plants. Not only do the roofs have the potential to reduce municipal infrastructure costs, they act as very efficient insulation, reducing air conditioning costs by up to 75 per cent.

The artificial soil the plants grow in can incorporate waste materials, such as crushed bricks or even crushed zebra mussels, he added.

SAP's Waterloo office is partnering on the project. Bob Campagnolo is SAP Canada's consultant in the emerging technologies group.

"We want to make the performance of the green roof and the maintenance of it as automated and as easy as possible," he said.

Sensors of all kinds have become ubiquitous in society, he said, and SAP wants to take advantage of the technology to remotely monitor the health of a green roof.

"Typically green roofs are installed and there might be some sort of manual maintenance procedures in place to make sure the roof remains healthy," he said. "What we're going to do is automate that."

Various sensors, some of which are solar powered, will measure a number of variables that contribute to the health of the roof, including sunlight, temperature and humidity, nutrient levels and soil moisture.

"They'll transmit that data to a consolidation point, and the availability of the data from the sensors allows you to track the performance of the roof remotely," Campagnolo said. "Not only will the data tell you if you need maintenance, but we can automate the maintenance as well."

Jason Ashdown is chief of operations with the Skyline Group. He said his company, SAP and the university want to know if the green roof will cost roughly the same as conventional flat roofs. There are indications the costs will be comparable, and if that is the case the green roofs may be a viable alternative for the company, which is one of Canada's largest multi-residential real estate owners.

"We decided to try it on one of our newest buildings, join up with the U of G and see how it looks and how it works," Ashdown said. "We'll make judgment on it in a year or so."

With three million square feet of commercial roof surface, the company spends a great deal on roof repair and replacement, Ashdown said. If a green roof can cut down on those costs, it will be a financial benefit to the company.

"We like to do things that help the environment and reduce our footprint," he added.

Tyler Whale, of the Catalyst Centre, patents and markets U of G innovations. He said the Skyline roof in downtown Guelph is the first smart green roof project on a flat roof.

"Having Skyline as part of the team is really nice," he said. "They are a local company that cares about trying to advance research and development within their community, and within the environmental sustainability framework, and at the same time save money. These are business people who want to make the right choice and make their business more profitable. This is one of those technologies that can do that."

Whale said smart green roofs make good business sense because they prolong the life of roof decks on buildings and improve the efficiency of solar panels.

Work remains to be done on the data collecting system and the structure of the roofs, Campagnolo said. Roughly another year is needed on the research and development stage, and other early adopter customers will have to be lined up before the system goes commercial.

Green roofs replace conventional roofing material, such as asphalt shingles or tin. A layered system, a green roof begins with a waterproof membrane, followed by a drainage layer, a layer to keep dirt and grit out of the drainage layer, the artificial soil and the plants themselves.

The plant sedum is often used on green roofs because of its water retention properties, but water evaporation, necessary for keeping roofs cool, is not one of sedum's strengths, Campagnolo said. U of G scientists are studying other plant combinations that would be more effective.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Roof Talk-101 6 Busted Green-Roof Myths

Roof Talk 101 6 Busted Green-Roof Myths

Mariana Pickering, Houzz Contributor and Architect

Green roofs, living roofs, vegetated roofs, ecoroofs — whatever you want to call them, they are sprouting up everywhere lately, including atop residential homes. And with that increase in popularity comes general assumptions and misconceptions. For example, that green roofs are only for ecobuffs, they’re high maintenance and they’re experimental and risky. All untrue.

Let’s take a look at some common green-roof myths and see if they, er, hold any water.

The Basics

A green roof is simply one that fosters the growth of vegetation. It is made of a waterproofing layer, a root barrier, a drainage system and growing medium for the plants. “Intensive” green roofs, or roof gardens, can be accessible and can include much larger plants and even water features.

An “extensive” green roof, on the other hand, is a thinner, lighter, version that looks more similar to a standard roof. It can be sloped or flat. Often it will be planted with sedum (stonecrop). Many “semi-intensive” green roofs are home to an array of plant species, including native grasses and flowers.

More: Discover inspiring landscaping ideas and find a top local landscape contractor or residential landscape architect to plan your garden landscape.

Common Myths

Myth No. 1: Green roofs are a new and experimental part of the green trend.
When do you think the residential green roof in this photo was installed? Five years ago? Ten? Maybe 20? This green roof has been protecting this German residence since the 1940s — more than 70 years ago!

Last May I was able to attend the International Green Roof Association’s conference in Hamburg, Germany. As part of the conference program, we visited the small community of Wohldorf-Ohlstedt. This roof and others like it were constructed in 1943 in one of three Norwegian settlements. The neighborhood was intended to be a social housing option for the needy, including former concentration camp prisoners. It later became a middle-class suburb, with the green-roofed houses becoming quite sought after but rarely available.

Green roofs have been around for centuries. It’s the execution of them that has become more technical of late, allowing for thinner and lighter roof profiles.

Myth No. 2: A green roof is only for a green building.

Certainly there are many green building certifications that award points for the installation of a green roof. The environmental benefits are undeniable. However, even homes that don’t have a specific eco objective can benefit from the aesthetic and economical aspects of having an extended garden space.

Green roofs can save you money, too. In Germany (where green-roof research has the longest history), extensive green roofs are used as an economic alternative to other options. They have been shown to reduce heating and cooling costs, reduce stormwater runoff (and therefore flooding), and provide added commercial space, which in turn increases the market value of a property.

The advantages of stormwater mitigation have been noticed by the city of Portland, which now runs the Portland Ecoroof Program, providing incentives to developers who design vegetated roof systems.

Myth No. 3: Green roofs may look nice, but they can cause structural problems and leakage.

This is perhaps one of the most cited concerns of clients. Let me be clear: A leaky roof is independent of whether it’s a green roof or a traditional roof. It has to do with the installation and design specification of the structure. All roofs must have a proper waterproofing membrane, green roofs included.

There is no evidence to suggest that green roofs are more susceptible to leaking. In fact, some studies suggest that the longer life cycle of a green roof is due to the protection of the waterproof membrane from ultraviolet sunlight. The plants and substrate act as a natural barrier to weathering.

A properly designed green roof will also have a root barrier to stop plants from trying to root too deep.

This homeowner elected to have his vegetable garden on the roof (perhaps to keep it safe from hungry animals).

Newly constructed homes must meet the requirements of the designed loads, so as long as your architect and structural engineer are on the same page about your desires for a green roof, there should be no problem for a new home to meet the structural requirements.

For retrofitted green roofs, you have to be a bit careful. Requirements will depend a lot on what part of the country you live in and what kinds of loads your home was originally designed to sustain (snow, wind, rain etc.).

Myth No. 4: Green roofs are difficult and costly to irrigate.

Many people think that a green roof has to be planted with sedum or other succulents because it’s impossible or prohibitively expensive to irrigate a green roof. The reality is that all green roofs require irrigation in the beginning while the roots of the plants are establishing themselves (with the exception of pregrown mats made offsite). The reason that water-storing plants are so popular is because they are beautiful and hardy enough to stand up to the tough conditions of a roof.

However, sometimes combining these with other types of vegetation, such as native grasses, can be a good way to introduce more diversity and increase the aesthetic charm of the roof. Intensive roofs, or roof gardens, are the perfect example of this. Some even have bushes and trees.

The irrigation needs of a green roof are specific not only to plant selection, but also to the local climate. I recently talked with Casey Boyter of Casey Boyter Gardens in Austin, Texas, about how to design green roofs for the long, hot, Texas summers, where sometimes temperatures stay over 100 degrees Fahrenheit all summer long.

She pointed out that when it finally does rain, it rains a lot. Therefore it is not only important to select drought-tolerant plants that can make it through the heat waves, but it’s also necessary to design a thicker substrate (growing medium), made of materials that can absorb large amounts of water. The drainage layer may also have deep pockets in it (similar to an egg carton) to store water that will then be released back to the plants during the next heat wave.

The need for irrigation is cut down considerably with these features. In fact, many green roofs require no additional water once they are established. They become an integral part of nature’s water cycle for that particular site.

“If we begin to think about each site as self-regenerative and consider closed-loop cycles for our water, I assure you we would be further away from the increasing desertification of our landscapes,” Boyter says. “Green roofs, living architectural systems, are a tool to increase the quality of our lives as well.”

Mark Garff at The Watershed Company in Seattle has a similar approach. The roof gardens in this photo were specifically designed to attract insects, particularly pollinators like bees, he says. “We created additional planting depth to increase species diversity,” he says.

This means that a green roof can act as an extension of the natural landscape on and around the site. The roof then becomes part of a healthy and balanced micro-ecosystem, supporting biodiversity.

“Long-term irrigation of a green roof is no more costly than any other planting area,” he says. To offset the costs, the irrigation water can be harvested as rainwater, as is the case for the green roof in this photo.

Myth No. 5: You can just put some dirt on your roof to make your own green roof.

Stop! Don’t do it. A well-designed green roof is made of much more than good potting soil. Often it doesn't even include soil, but instead calls for perlite or other porous lightweight materials.

As I mentioned before, the structure of your home needs to be analyzed to see if it can handle the load of a rain-soaked green roof. The specific climate of your site will need to be considered, and plant selection and drainage systems will need to be designed.

This doesn't mean that all green-roof systems have to be built in, however. Some professionals in North America are using modular systems in their design specifications. For example, Aaron Kang-Crosby at Spore Design says the company used a modular system by LiveRoof for this roof deck, with sedum already grown in from a local nursery. (I personally have not seen these systems used in Europe, and I’m curious to hear what readers have to say about their performance.)

Myth No. 6: A green roof is just too expensive and complicated.

It seems a lot of people are intimidated by green roofs because they don’t know where to start or how much it will cost them.

“Choosing the right team of professionals is one way to keep both short-term and long-term costs down,” Boyter says. You can start by asking your architect or checking the database of accredited green-roof professionals in your area.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the cost of a green roof at $10 to $25 per square foot. Obviously, this price is highly variable, depending on whether you want an inaccessible sedum roof or an accessible roof garden.

The warranties on the building products used in a green roof are similar to those for all of the other building products in a home. They must be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications by a qualified professional.

Every green roof installation should come with a service contract to address annual maintenance. The extent of that maintenance will depend a lot on how you want to use your green roof.

According to Boyter, the maintenance plan should be part of the initial design and installation, with a two-year and a five-year plan included, or perhaps an even longer plan in certain circumstances.The life spans of residential green roofs are still largely undocumented, but some professionals say they can be double the lifespan of a traditional roof. The green roofs of Rockefeller Center in New York City, for example, have the same waterproofing membranes that were installed in the 1930s.