Green Roof Albedo

One way to increase the albedo of a roof is to plant vegetation.

Green roof albedo. The new concrete is a whitish gray color that is able to reflect sunlight and keep not only the roads cooler but also the adjacent buildings. The city of chicago has also attempted to make a change by creating a network of green alleyways by removing the former dark pavement and replacing it with albedo concrete. Albedo or solar reflectance is a measure of a material s ability to reflect sunlight including the visible infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths on a scale of 0 to 1 an albedo of 0 0 indicates that the surface absorbs all solar radiation and an albedo of 1 0 represents total reflectivity. Sustainable roofing glossary albedo.

Rooftop gardens and green roof systems such as the stormcap create a buffer preventing heat from entering the building. In contrast to conventional roofs these kind are specifically designed to reduce internal building temperature by reflecting the sun s uv rays. On the contrary green roofs recorded an equivalent albedo of 0 7 0 85 gaffin et al 2006. They have a positive impact on temperature both within the building and outside as well as improving air quality.

Ultimately the albedo of a green roof is about twice higher than the albedos found for dark roofing surfaces.