Green Roof Solar Demonstration Plot at NYC Parks Dept. Building

Solar Green Roof - NYC Parks and Recreation Demonstration Roof

Recently, Highview Creations and Green Roof Service LLC / Green Roof Technology installed a new green roof and solar technology on top of a NYC Parks Department building, which is being used to display different green roof systems.  The display is the first installation in the United States, and it presents a combination of green roof and solar technologies.  When coupled, they can provide a beneficial relationship to maximize energy production and stormwater retention.

The Solar Green Roof is ballasted by an extensive green roof, eliminating the need for rooftop penetrations

The solar array of the system sits on an HDPE molded support module, and is ballasted by an extensive green roof system that sits in the mold above the existing rooftop.  Usually, rooftop solar systems are ballasted by supports that penetrate the rooftop membrane, increasing installation costs and the possibility of roof leaks because of more penetrations.  This system eliminates the need for such complex installations and decreases the possibility of leaking.

Solar technology has an efficient temperature range of up to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.  When temperatures rise above this, the solar panel loses its voltage production efficiency by about .5%.  On rooftops, temperatures can easily rise above 100 degrees (and up to 130+ degrees), and can reduce solar panel efficiency by more than 15%.

A green roof can keep rooftop temperatures at, and sometimes below ambient temperatures (depending on the type of system).  When coupled with Solar technology, electricity production becomes more efficient by keeping surrounding temperatures lower than an exposed rooftop.  Green roofs can also lower energy costs through increased insulation in the summer, and by reducing air conditioning costs.  Because a green roof lowers ambient temperatures, HVAC systems take in cooler air, which reduces the energy required to cool warmer air.

As with any green roof system, stormwater will be retained during days of precipitation.  In cities like New York, stormwater retention through green infrastructure lessens the burden on combined sewer systems. This decreases the chances of an overflow, which can release waste water and pollutants into surrounding waterways during significant rain events.

The Solar Green Roof is a new technology Highview Creations strongly supports.  By combining the two systems, electricity generation and conservation becomes more efficient, and green roof benefits are still achievable.  The Solar Green Roof is exclusively distributed through our partners at Green Roof Technologies. by Eric Dalski