“Everyone studies how green roofs operate
in warm conditions,” says Brad Bass of the U of T Centre for
Environment. “No one else has looked at winter design.” Bass
analyzed a test roof built in Ottawa by Karen Liu of the
National Research Council’s Institute for Research in
Construction, to offer the first conclusive data that winter
green roofs can help reduce heat loss and energy consumption
during cold months. The results are currently on display in the
Design For the Cold exhibition at the Chalmers Design Centre,
Design Exchange.The winter green roof uses evergreens –
juniper shrubs – and a thicker soil base than typical leafy
green roofs, which generally provide passive benefits to the
environment by reducing the need for air conditioning on hot
days. The winter roof was installed on both a standard test
house and an energy-efficient winterized house. Bass used
environmental systems performance software to chart the indoor
temperature fluctuations in both buildings.
“The results for the winterized house were good, and the
results for the regular house were dramatic,” says Bass. “The
assessment opens up designers to considering winter roofs as
part of a year-round energy efficiency strategy.” A poster
illustrating the research will be on display until Nov. 27 at
the Design Exchange, 234 Bay St. The University of Toronto
Health Care, Technology and Place Program is also one of the
partners presenting the exhibition, which called for planners,
designers, artists and health researchers to design new ways for
Canadians to thrive in cold winters.
The winter green roof project was funded by Environment
Canada, the National Research Council, the University of
Toronto, the Office of Energy Research and Development (Natural
Resources Canada) and the Climate Change Action Fund.
Editor's Note: The original news release can be found
here.
