Green Roof Market Grew More Than 30% in 2007

Call it a gift for the Earth, just in time for Earth Day. In 2007, 30 percent more green roofs were installed in North America, and that means more beautiful rooftops, cleaner air, cooler cities, reduced energy consumption. less untreated storm water running into rivers and streams and more green spaces for people, plants and animals.

This good news comes from Green Roofs for Health Cities' (GRHC) Third Annual Green Roof Market Industry Survey of its corporate members and represents a five percent increase over the 2006 market growth rate of 25 percent. The survey is based on square footage of green roof projects installed by GRHC's corporate members in 2007.

"We're particularly thrilled to see Baltimore on our list for the first time as it is the host city of our fast-approaching annual international green roof conference, starting April 30, 2008," said Steven W. Peck, founder and president of GRHC. "We're also pleased to see Washington, D.C. on the list again as the government of the District of Columbia in this year's winner of an Awards of Excellence for Civic Leadership. Significant green roof implementation can save tens of millions of dollars from reduced energy and greatly improve regional storm water management and air quality."

Other newcomers to the top ten U.S. cities list include Brooklyn, N.Y.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Royersford, Pa.; Philadelphia; Amery, Wis.; and Germantown, Md. The city of Chicago remains the No. 1 city for green roofs, with more than 500,000 sq ft of green roofs installed in 2007--evidence of the city's commitment to becoming America's greenest city through green roof policies and incentives that support green roofs, walls and other forms of living architecture.

Source: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities