Germany Green Roof Statistics

Green roof performance data.

Germany green roof statistics.

Over the past 40 years german policies have successfully encouraged green. Today this has risen to between 100 and 150 million square metres the german roof gardens association estimates. Roof produced a 10 percent decrease in building energy use over the winter months. A number of european countries have very active associations promoting green roofs including germany switzerland the netherlands norway italy austria hungary sweden the uk and greece.

Some 20 to 25 percent of the city s flat roofs are green and due to a combination of government incentives tax abatements and regulations so are 10 percent of the roofs throughout germany. Green roofs can increase a building s marketability. Today it is estimated that about 10 of all german roofs have been greened. Germany has the greatest share of green roofs within europe with yearly sales figures amounting to around 250 million euros.

Today in europe about 10 000 000m of new green roofs are being constructed each year. Cities such as stuttgart and copenhagen have begun to mandate green roofs on most new construction. Germany is the country with the most green roofs in the world and it is the country with the most advanced knowledge in modern green roof technology. Sod roofs are frequently found on traditional farmhouses and farm buildings in iceland.

Green roofs like this one in berlin germany support specialized hearty vegetation and provide environmental services such as stormwater retention urban heat island effect amelioration habitat for urban wildlife and energy savings resulting from better insulation. Green roofs can also reduce stormwater runoff by holding water within the substrate and therefore delaying the runoff time. An extensive green roof can reduce sound from outside by 40 decibels while an intensive green roof can reduce sound by 46 50 decibels peck et al. Green roofs have excellent noise attenuation especially for low frequency sounds.

According to their 2015 report there was a green roof stock of 86 million square metres in germany in 2014 and about another 8 million square metres were added every year. The temperature on the green roof on the hottest summer days can be as much as 59 degrees cooler than conventional roofs on neighboring buildings.