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Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto

Author

Listed:
  • Doug, Banting
  • Hitesh, Doshi
  • James, Li
  • Paul, Missios

Abstract

This report presents the findings on the municipal level benefits of implementing green roof technology in the City of Toronto. Beyond this report, which addresses the immediate needs of the City of Toronto in assisting them to formulate appropriate programs and policies, the Ryerson team has been charged by OCE-ETech to develop a generic technological solution that can be used to predict the costs and benefits related to green roofs. This work is ongoing and is not reported here. Of the many benefits of green roofs reported in the study, the ones that had the most quantifiable monetary value based on currently available research data are: benefit from stormwater flow reduction including impact on combined sewer overflow (CSO), improvement in air quality, reduction in direct energy use, and reduction in urban heat island effect. The literature review indicated other benefits that could not be quantified in this report. These benefits included: aesthetic improvement of urban landscape, increase in property values, benefits resulting from green roofs used as amenity spaces, use of green roof for food production, and increased biodiversity. Further work is needed to quantify these benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Doug, Banting & Hitesh, Doshi & James, Li & Paul, Missios, 2005. "Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto," MPRA Paper 70526, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:70526
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/70526/1/MPRA_paper_70526.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William R. Cline, 1992. "Economics of Global Warming, The," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 39, April.
    2. Akbari, H & Konopacki, S & Pomerantz, M, 1999. "Cooling energy savings potential of reflective roofs for residential and commercial buildings in the United States," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 391-407.
    3. Akbari, Hashem & Konopacki, Steven, 2004. "Energy effects of heat-island reduction strategies in Toronto, Canada," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 191-210.
    4. Akbari, H, 2003. "Measured energy savings from the application of reflective roofs in two small non-residential buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(9), pages 953-967.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Altvater, Susanne & de Block, Debora & Bouwma, Irene & Dworak, Thomas & Frelih-Larsen, Ana & Görlach, Benjamin & Hermeling, Claudia & Klostermann, Judith & König, Martin & Leitner, Markus & Marinova, , 2012. "Adaptation measures in the EU: Policies, costs, and economic assessment. "Climate Proofing" of key EU policies," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 110558.
    2. Jim, C.Y., 2014. "Air-conditioning energy consumption due to green roofs with different building thermal insulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 49-59.
    3. Manso, Maria & Teotónio, Inês & Silva, Cristina Matos & Cruz, Carlos Oliveira, 2021. "Green roof and green wall benefits and costs: A review of the quantitative evidence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. Lilliana L. H. Peng & C. Y. Jim, 2015. "Seasonal and Diurnal Thermal Performance of a Subtropical Extensive Green Roof: The Impacts of Background Weather Parameters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Hodo-Abalo, Samah & Banna, Magolmèèna & Zeghmati, Belkacem, 2012. "Performance analysis of a planted roof as a passive cooling technique in hot-humid tropics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 140-148.
    6. He, Hongming & Jim, C.Y., 2010. "Simulation of thermodynamic transmission in green roof ecosystem," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(24), pages 2949-2958.
    7. Lamnatou, Chr. & Chemisana, D., 2015. "A critical analysis of factors affecting photovoltaic-green roof performance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 264-280.
    8. Muhammad Shafique & Reeho Kim & Kwon Kyung-Ho, 2018. "Green Roof for Stormwater Management in a Highly Urbanized Area: The Case of Seoul, Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Huafei Yu & Yaolong Zhao & Yingchun Fu & Le Li, 2018. "Spatiotemporal Variance Assessment of Urban Rainstorm Waterlogging Affected by Impervious Surface Expansion: A Case Study of Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-22, October.
    10. Jon Laurenz & Jone Belausteguigoitia & Ander de la Fuente & Daniel Roehr, 2021. "Green Urban (RE) Generation: A Research and Practice Methodology to Better Implement Green Urban Infrastructure Solutions," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-24, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    green roofs; economic benefits; environment; cost-benefit analysis; stormeater flow; air quality; energy use; urban heat island;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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