Portland State University Study Aims to Support Use of Green Roofs
The university hopes new surveys and research will lay the foundation for broader adoption of green roof technology through better tools.

Portland State University researchers plan to find out how well green roofs actually work in improving stormwater abatement and energy savings. PSU researchers will create computer models of green roofs to study their various ecological benefits. This engineering research will be combined with a detailed modeling of economic costs and benefits. The combined result will be integrated into an industry standard software design tool allowing building professionals to evaluate the right plants, soil, and a host of other critical factors including cost to ensure the best roof performance for the local conditions, design, and business objectives.

Researchers and those supporting the study think this information could dramatically expand the market for green roofs, since design professionals will have the tools necessary to evaluate the roofs’ performance in each particular climate.

The research is a public-private collaboration facilitated by Portland State’s Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices External support comes from the Ecoworks Foundation, a venture philanthropy foundation committed to sustainable development; the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development; and Gerding Edlen Development, a leading developer of sustainable, mixed-use urban projects.

Results from the wide-ranging Portland State University study, which will look at green roofs on campus as well as elsewhere throughout the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and in other regions, are due in 2008.

Click here to fill out the green roof survey online. The survey questions do not seek proprietary information, and the responses are returned via an internet based survey company. The survey does not ask for, nor will receive personal information of any kind, including e-mail addresses.