CO 2 Payoff of Extensive Green Roofs with Different Vegetation Species

Takanori Kuronuma, Hitoshi Watanabe, Tatsuaki Ishihara, Daitoku Kou, Kazunari Toushima, Masaya Ando and Satoshi Shindo
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Takanori Kuronuma: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Hitoshi Watanabe: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Tatsuaki Ishihara: Kyodo KY-Tec Corporation, 1-15-1, Ebisu-minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022, Japan
Daitoku Kou: Kyodo KY-Tec Corporation, 1-15-1, Ebisu-minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022, Japan
Kazunari Toushima: Kyodo KY-Tec Corporation, 1-15-1, Ebisu-minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022, Japan
Masaya Ando: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Satoshi Shindo: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Green roofs are considered effective in the reduction of atmospheric CO 2 because of their ability to reduce energy consumption of buildings and sequester carbon in plants and substrates. However, green roof system components (substrate, water proofing membrane, etc.) may cause CO 2 emissions during their life cycle. Therefore, to assess the CO 2 -payoff for extensive green roofs, we calculated CO 2 payback time it takes their CO 2 sequestration and reduction to offset the CO 2 emitted during its production process and maintenance practices. The amount of CO 2 emitted during the production of a modular green roof system was found to be 25.2 kg-CO 2 ·m −2 . The annual CO 2 emission from the maintenance of green roofs was 0.33 kg-CO 2 ·m −2 ·yr −1 . Annual CO 2 sequestration by three grass species with irrigation treatment was about 2.5 kg-CO 2 ·m −2 ·yr −1 , which was higher than that of Sedum aizoon . In the hypothetical green roofs, annual CO 2 reduction due to saved energy was between 1.703 and 1.889 kg-CO 2 ·m −2 ·yr −1 . From these results, we concluded that the CO 2 payback time of the extensive green roofs was between 5.8 and 15.9 years, which indicates that extensive green roofs contribute to CO 2 reduction within their lifespan.

Keywords: building energy savings; CO 2 emission; CO 2 payback time; CO 2 sequestration; extensive green roof; inventory analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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