The Tainan Environmental Protection Bureau’s green roof cooling project can help lower roof temperatures by about 7°C, thus reducing air-conditioner electricity consumption.
A presentation of the project was held at Wunyuan Elementary School in the city’s North District (北區), where herbs and vegetables had been planted on classroom rooftops.
Environmental Protection Bureau Director Lin Yuan-chung (林淵淙), Tainan City North District Office Chief Secretary Tsai Chia-fu (蔡佳甫), Wunyuan Elementary School principal Lee Chen-i (李貞儀), volunteers, and the school’s students and teachers attended the presentation.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
The green roof project was implemented at five facilities, covering a total area of 734m2 this year, the bureau said.
Including the eight facilities that were planted up in 2017, covering a total area of 533m2, the combined green roof area has reached 1,267m2, which is expected to save about 93,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, it said.
Lin said the demonstration at the elementary school showed the energy-saving benefits of the project by reducing the amount of electricity air-conditioners consume by about 40 percent.
It also reduces stormwater runoff by 60 to 80 percent, putting less pressure on the city’s sewer system, and can be be incorporated into environmental education, allowing students to get closer to nature, he said.
Lee said the green roof installed at the school was the “thin-layer” type recommended by the bureau.
Its total area is about 91m2, and the water retention boards at the bottom can store up to 13.5 tonnes of water, she said.
The herbs and the New Zealand spinach planted on the roof are grown organically, Lee said, adding that it would be used to teach students about agriculture, saving energy, the environment and sustainability.
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