Penn State Green Roofs Center

Formerly led by dr.

Penn state green roofs center.

Penn state is committed to developing and sustaining a green campus. Green roofs are very effective stormwater bmps. David beattie associate professor of ornamental horticulture and director center for green roof research the current center director is dr. Penn state faculty and students are actively researching multiple components of green roof performance including storm water quantity and quality management energy balance plant selection plant performance plant installation techniques media components roof system components and managements and materials testing.

Research facilities faculty and students working on green roofs at penn state make use of many facilities on and off campus. Reducing air conditioning costs. Their major drawback is the initial cost. The green roof was installed and planted by scott s landscaping.

The roof is a sedum meadow roof. The greenroof plants were planted in september 2001 but the penn state green roof research center was finalized in the summer of 2002 and now offers graduate and undergraduate students many learning opportunities. Green roof media testing is important for characterizing the physical and chemical properties of the medium. Some of the cutting edge research performed in the penn state center has included studies in storm water runoff quality and quantity building energy consumption and insulation value media chemical and physical characteristics plant selection plant water use waterproofing resistance to root penetration.

Penn state ag sciences plant science research research centers center for green roof research reports publications center for green roof research research. Course eco roof and green technologies horticulture hort 497b was the first green roof technologies class in the nation created at penn state in 2005 and is taught every spring semester with students from many disciplines participating. The green roof covers the 4th and 5th floor roofs. A typical extensive green roof of 3 5 inches depth will reduce the volume of runoff by about 55 in central pennsylvania and attenuate the peak runoff rates to the level of the pre development land use.

On campus the root cellar has a 4 500 square feet roof that is used for monitoring runoff and evaluating green roof plants and the forest resources building has a 4 700 square feet demonstration and display roof. In such all new buildings will utilize green technologies and many will have green roofs. Center for green roof research. The student health center is a new building finished in 2008.

Lengthening roof membrane life.