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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GREEN ROOFS REDUCE WINTER ENERGY BILLS CHICAGO, Illinois, January 4, 2007 --/WORLD-WIRE/--“Green roofs are in the business of cooling things off,” says a spokesperson for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, referring to how a Green roof can minimize the “heat island” effect that causes temperatures to be generally higher in urban areas. “Replace a [conventional roof] with lush greenery, and heat will be absorbed and surrounding temperatures decline.” This is why many facilities have discovered significant energy savings after a Green roof has been installed. For example, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) found that in the summer, a Green roof on a test facility reduced average daily energy demands by up to 75 percent compared to another test facility with a conventional roof. However, with cold winter weather causing energy bills to soar over most of North America, studies report that Green roofs can help cut energy costs in the cold winter months as well. This is because Green roofs moderate temperature fluctuations of the existing roofs’ membranes, which not only helps keep the facility warmer but also minimizes heating demand, consequently saving energy. Moderating Temperature Swings For instance, a computerized system atop the Zoological Society, which installed a modular Green roof atop their headquarters building in August 2004, records the outdoor air temperature as well as the Green roof’s temperature every hour. According to the readings during one recent seven-day period, the outdoor air temperature approached a high of 60 degrees at 5 p.m. on December 14, 2006, and a low of approximately 20 degrees at 9 a.m. on December 19, 2006—nearly a 40-degree fluctuation. However, during this same period, the Green roof temperature hovered at approximately 40 degrees day in and day out. The total temperature fluctuation was less than 15 degrees during the seven-day period. “Moderating the temperature swings places less demand on a facility’s heating system in winter,” says Sandra McCullough, a LEED-Accredited Professional® with GreenGrid® Green Roofs. “The added insulation of the Green roof blocks cold from entering and heat from leaving the facility. It is estimated that as much as a quarter of a facility’s heat can escape through the roof, so this can prove to be a real energy savings as well.” McCullough adds that the moderated temperature swings also help reduce the thermal stress on the roof, extending membrane life considerably. “In some cases, we find the roof’s life span is doubled because of this,” she says. Visit the GreenGrid website at: www.greengridroofs.com About GreenGrid® Green Roof System GreenGrid® Green Roof System is a business of Weston Solutions, Inc—a leading environment and redevelopment firm delivering comprehensive solutions to complex problems for industry and government worldwide. WESTON is the exclusive licensee in the United States of the GreenGrid® System, a proprietary technology of ABC Supply Co., Inc. All GreenGrid® projects in the United States have been performed by Weston Solutions, Inc. or its authorized contractors. CONTACT: Robert Kravitz at 773-525-3021 rkravitz@rcn.com Sandra McCullough at (312) 424-3306 Jared Markham in Glastonbury, CT (860)368-3204 Michael Rieger in Sherman Oaks, CA at (818) 332-1812 Larry Vanselow in Seattle, WA at (206)521-7692. |
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