What is Biosolar Roof | Benefits of Installing Solar Green Roof
What is Biosolar Roof and benefits of Installing a Biosolar Roof:
Many people only think in terms of having either a green roof or solar power. The combination of these two technologies is common in other countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Austria. This combination is referred to as Biosolar roofs.
Green roof and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are two technologies that could contribute to sustainable building development and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating them can enhance the way they work and their overall effectiveness by cooling and shading effects.
The results of various experiments show a positive outcome from this integration: green roof surface and soil temperatures are reduced from the shading and higher power output of PV panels is achieved from the cooling effect.the PV system on integrated approach generated 8.3% more electricity than the stand-alone option. The degree of benefit gained will depend on the system design and whether the optimum arrangement has been found for the particular building site.
There is considerable evidence that combining solar panels and vegetation can produce the following benefits:
Solar/Photovoltaic panels can work more efficiently on a roof when installed over a green roof system. The green roof can have a cooling effect especially in the summer. If the micro-climate around the panels is too hot the panels may not work so well. Green roofs can help to keep ambient temperatures around the panels at or close to 25c which is the best temperature for solar panels to work efficiently.
Installing A-frame panels is made easier on a green roof as it provides the ballast for holding the A-frames and panels in place. This also means that there is no impact on the waterproofing layer below.
The diversity of vegetation and therefore fauna using the green roof should increase with the PV panels providing shaded areas underneath and rain run-off creating damper areas to the front and drier areas behind. This creates a ‘habitat mosaic’ which allows a wider variety of vegetation to flourish and this in turn can attract a wider range of butterflies, bees, beetles and other species.
It is very important however to design and install biosolar roofs correctly.However, if biosolar roofs are not designed and installed correctly, things can go wrong. All too often, solar panels are seen as the important element. They do provide energy after all which has a clear financial value. But if the green roof is just treated like window-dressing around the panels. the positives mentioned above can quite easily turn into negatives One example would be where panels are placed too close together and entirely the wrong sort of plants take over.
The panels installed over the green roof performed best, generating an average of 1.4 percent more energy as compared with those over the white and black roofs, said a press release by University of Kansas.
There are a number of model biosolar roof projects around the world that combine green roofs with solar energy. In London, the roof of the Olympic Park Media Centre in Stratford is one. Standard Chartered Bank’s biosolar roof in the City is another. With an increased interest in solar energy on roofs from the current Mayor of London, such projects are likely to increase.
In Switzerland, there are biosolar roof projects throughout the country. The Messe Hall in Basel installed in 2000 was one of the first. It is also one of the largest solar roofs in the country.
In Germany, many green roofs combined with solar panels are found in Freiburg and elsewhere in the country. It will be interesting to see what happens in France, now there is a national law to encourage solar and green roofs. Whether this leads to more biosolar roof projects is to be seen, as the law is ambiguous on whether they should be combined together.
Unfortunately, more often than not architects decide to separate these two technologies on a roof. But as time goes on, to meet renewable energy targets surely green roofs with solar energy integration, will become part of a smart future.
How and Why: Bio-solar House: https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2017/05/how-and-why-bio-solar-house/26264
Many people only think in terms of having either a green roof or solar power. The combination of these two technologies is common in other countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Austria. This combination is referred to as Biosolar roofs.
Green roof and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are two technologies that could contribute to sustainable building development and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating them can enhance the way they work and their overall effectiveness by cooling and shading effects.
The results of various experiments show a positive outcome from this integration: green roof surface and soil temperatures are reduced from the shading and higher power output of PV panels is achieved from the cooling effect.the PV system on integrated approach generated 8.3% more electricity than the stand-alone option. The degree of benefit gained will depend on the system design and whether the optimum arrangement has been found for the particular building site.
There is considerable evidence that combining solar panels and vegetation can produce the following benefits:
Solar/Photovoltaic panels can work more efficiently on a roof when installed over a green roof system. The green roof can have a cooling effect especially in the summer. If the micro-climate around the panels is too hot the panels may not work so well. Green roofs can help to keep ambient temperatures around the panels at or close to 25c which is the best temperature for solar panels to work efficiently.
Installing A-frame panels is made easier on a green roof as it provides the ballast for holding the A-frames and panels in place. This also means that there is no impact on the waterproofing layer below.
The diversity of vegetation and therefore fauna using the green roof should increase with the PV panels providing shaded areas underneath and rain run-off creating damper areas to the front and drier areas behind. This creates a ‘habitat mosaic’ which allows a wider variety of vegetation to flourish and this in turn can attract a wider range of butterflies, bees, beetles and other species.
It is very important however to design and install biosolar roofs correctly.However, if biosolar roofs are not designed and installed correctly, things can go wrong. All too often, solar panels are seen as the important element. They do provide energy after all which has a clear financial value. But if the green roof is just treated like window-dressing around the panels. the positives mentioned above can quite easily turn into negatives One example would be where panels are placed too close together and entirely the wrong sort of plants take over.
The panels installed over the green roof performed best, generating an average of 1.4 percent more energy as compared with those over the white and black roofs, said a press release by University of Kansas.
There are a number of model biosolar roof projects around the world that combine green roofs with solar energy. In London, the roof of the Olympic Park Media Centre in Stratford is one. Standard Chartered Bank’s biosolar roof in the City is another. With an increased interest in solar energy on roofs from the current Mayor of London, such projects are likely to increase.
In Switzerland, there are biosolar roof projects throughout the country. The Messe Hall in Basel installed in 2000 was one of the first. It is also one of the largest solar roofs in the country.
In Germany, many green roofs combined with solar panels are found in Freiburg and elsewhere in the country. It will be interesting to see what happens in France, now there is a national law to encourage solar and green roofs. Whether this leads to more biosolar roof projects is to be seen, as the law is ambiguous on whether they should be combined together.
Unfortunately, more often than not architects decide to separate these two technologies on a roof. But as time goes on, to meet renewable energy targets surely green roofs with solar energy integration, will become part of a smart future.
How and Why: Bio-solar House: https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2017/05/how-and-why-bio-solar-house/26264
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