Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy

Catalano, Chiara; Baumann, Nathalie

Publication type:	Contribution to magazine or newspaper
Title:	Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy
Authors:	Catalano, Chiara Baumann, Nathalie
Published in:	Citygreen
Volume(Issue):	2017
Issue:	15
Page(s):	42
Pages to:	49
Issue Date:	Nov-2017
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Singapore
ISBN:	978-981115509-3
ISSN:	2010-0981
Language:	English
Subjects:	biosolar green roofs
Subject (DDC):	333: Economics of land and resources 711: Area planning 712: Landscape architecture
Abstract:	In a world where: the global population is doomed to count 10 billion by 2050, more than the 80% of the European population will live in cities, the energy consumption of the residential sector alone is expected to increase by the 48% from 2012 to 2040, the current vertebrate extinction rate is up to 100 greater than the natural one; there is a need to conserve both the biological diversity and the natural resources within the built environment. In this scenario of densely urbanised areas, the economic conflict is clear when the increasing cost of the land makes less remunerative for municipalities the implementation of open green spaces. Moreover, the exclusive integration of photovoltaic panels on the roof tops is challenging the systematic adoption of green roofs as an environmental mitigation measure. However, researchers proved that green roofs optimise the energy production in different climates due to their cooling effect while providing habitat for wild flora and fauna and still reducing the stormwater run-off. In the last years (2011-2015), the green roof competence centre (now urban ecology research group) of the Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW, Switzerland) together with other partners from Austria (BOKU), UK (Onsite Training), Sweden (SGRI), France (INIT), Spain (Link) and Hungary (Sound Garden) cooperated together to develop a common strategy to promote among professionals (designer, firms, etc.) the combination of solar energy and biodiverse green roofs. This project named biosolarroofs (www.biosolarroof.com) was funded by the EU-Life Long Learning Program with a total amount of 250.000 €. The aim of this paper is to provide backgrounds, outline the strategies and the lessons learned from the biosolarrofs project but also the call for future research needed to support the symbioses of biodiverse green roofs and photovoltaic.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/1908
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Not specified
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Catalano, C., & Baumann, N. (2017). Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy. Citygreen, 2017(15), 42–49.

Catalano, C. and Baumann, N. (2017) ‘Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy’, Citygreen, 2017(15), pp. 42–49.

C. Catalano and N. Baumann, “Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy,” Citygreen, vol. 2017, no. 15, pp. 42–49, Nov. 2017.

CATALANO, Chiara und Nathalie BAUMANN, 2017. Biosolar roofs : a symbiosis between biodiverse green roofs and renewable energy. Citygreen. November 2017. Bd. 2017, Nr. 15, S. 42–49

Catalano, Chiara, and Nathalie Baumann. 2017. “Biosolar Roofs : A Symbiosis between Biodiverse Green Roofs and Renewable Energy.” Citygreen 2017 (15): 42–49.

Catalano, Chiara, and Nathalie Baumann. “Biosolar Roofs : A Symbiosis between Biodiverse Green Roofs and Renewable Energy.” Citygreen, vol. 2017, no. 15, Nov. 2017, pp. 42–49.