Bio-Solar Roofs

ENERGY (mitigation)

Created at: 31 Aug 2022

Description

Research on bio-solar green roofs at Barangaroo in Australia is setting the bar for climate-resilient cities. A study project at Barangaroo compared the conventional solar system on International House to a hybrid Photovoltaic (PV) solar and connected Junglefy green roof system (bio-solar roof) on Daramu House over the course of eight months. The project, which was overseen by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney and received funding from Lendlease and Junglefy, sought to demonstrate the benefits of green roofs in urban areas by comparing the results of biodiversity, renewable energy performance, temperature reduction, and other factors between the mainstream solar system roof and the integrated PV solar green roof. Key Findings: -Assessment of the solar PV system's integrated green roof, showed that it boosted solar energy output by 3.6%, or 9.5 MWh more energy production. This results in a $2,595 total energy production over the project's lifespan. (Lendlease, 2018) -The green roof decreased greenhouse gas emissions by an extra 8.8 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to approximately 110 trees. (Lendlease, 2018) -The summertime surface temperatures of the green roof were much lower, sometimes by up to 20°C, which may have lessened the impacts of urban heat islands. Another advantage of the integrated system is insulation, which keeps heat within the structure and maintains heat throughout the cooler months. (Lendlease, 2018) -On the green roof, insects and birds increased in number by seven and four times, respectively. Among the species seen are Australian Ravens, Australian Stingless Bees, Spotted Doves, and Australian Blue Banded Bees. The probable presence of predatory birds increases the likelihood that complex food web systems are maintained by the roof. (Lendlease, 2018) -Stormwater modelling on both roofs revealed that, as compared to the conventional roof, the bio-solar roof might lower flows into stormwater drains by more than 600 litres per second. In particular, when climatic instability is causing longer, drier periods and more violent storm occurrences, this might minimise the consequences of floods during storm events. (Lendlease, 2018) -The creation of green infrastructure may be one of the simplest and most effective methods for aiding cities in better coping with the effects of climate change. The green roof's integrated solar PV system outperformed a standard solar PV system in terms of performance. (Lendlease, 2018) The research was made possible by the City of Sydney's Innovation Grant programme, which offers to finance for projects targeted at making Sydney a greener, more sustainable city. (Lendlease, 2018) “The integration of greenery into our urban environments is vital to creating more liveable cities - that can mitigate the impacts of our changing climate. “This research has made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the multiple, measurable benefits of green roofs. We hope this extremely positive collaboration between industry, researchers and government inspires other organisations to look at the benefits of bio-solar systems.”(Lucy Sharman, 2018) Lendlease. (2018).Lendlease.com. https://www.lendlease.com/au/media-centre/media-releases/australian-first-biosolar-green-roof-study-at-barangaroo-leads-the-way-for-climate-resilient-cities/

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Alex TD

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