Article

Defining the Technical Potential of Green Roof Systems, a case study in Amsterdam

This research is presented at 'the potential of urban green, a session held on at he "Reinventing the City"conference by the AMS Institute in the Netherlands.

ABSTRACT
Submission Summary : In light of climate adaptation, rooftops of intensive urban areas are undergoing a transformation, as what is happening in the Dutch capital city – Amsterdam. Extensive Green Roofs (EGRs), Photovoltaic Panels (PV), and the combined system (CS) are more and more considered to apply on the rooftops due to their potentials to either reduce environmental stress factors such as the urban heat island, flooding, and air pollution, function as green energy, or both. This paper presents a model that identifies the technical potential of both green roofs and solar panels at building level, including the combined system of green roofs and solar panels which has received less attention in research and in practice. The model
is refined to a resolution of 0.5 by 0.5 meter which enables to analyze the potential within the roof as well. The models of all these three systems can be applied to all areas in the Netherlands. For illustrative purposes and due to the challenges faced by the capital city to mitigate and adapt to climate change, Amsterdam is analyzed in particular. The potential areas are classified into suitable and moderate areas, including the competitive overlap between green roofs and solar roofs. Main results identify that industrialized areas show highest potential for all three systems, whereas smaller buildings with steep slopes do not have a high potential for green roofs, but instead more for solar panels.

Auteur: Mike Slootweg

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Icon image: Rooftop Revolution

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