Larissa+Kennerley

=The Effect of Temperature on a Green Roof Compared to a Concrete Roof= = =

**Important dates:**
March 17: Project and paper session at Niles North. March 14: Paper session at Oak Grove

// FRUIT FLY ALERT!!! ~ //
Sorry, personal joke!!

= //My process on October 5, 2011// = (I am working with Mr. Wilms on this) The affect of a green roof on the environment.

-I am measuring the CO2 content and temperature of 2 rooms, one room with a green roof and the other without one, to see which room is more efficient.

I am in the process of gathering research at the moment (today is 10-5-11). For research, I am going to answer the following questions: - How do green roofs insulate/cool the rooms - how do green roofs compare to be better than other roofs - What are green roofs made of, and how are they made. And of course previous experiments that were conducted using a green roof, specifically using CO2 content and temperature. - What type of plants are used on a green roof?
 * - why are green roofs important for the environment

I want to start my experiment in December, but that is entirely up to Mr. Wilms since he is going to be giving me the data. This will be over a period of one month, so the experiment should end at the beginning of January. <-- My hopes, but not exactly sure yet.

**Details:** There are 2 rooms, the exact same width and length. Both consist of the same amount of light. This environment was set up purposely by Mr. Wilms when the green roof was first built. The green roof covers only one of the 2 rooms, so it is easily compared. There is a temperature gauge, to measure temperature in each room. My mother works for a major roofing company that goes by the name of GAF. I plan on conducting an interview with the director of technical marketing. This is because GAF installs green roofs and they can be able to teach me what is needed to build it, and what it would do for the environment. Things may change, with a corresponding email from Mr. Wilms. I shall post when decided. Questions, please email~

//Updated October 18th//

Mr Wilms emailed me back, and the experiment is to officially begin in December. @http://www.showalterroofing.com/green-commercial.php <-- this is the website stating information about GAF and more information about other topics.

Research is still being conducted. Always more research to be done! (research is in quotes O__o)
 * Other Info.**

Here is what my research looks like now: [|__http://www.roofgreening.ca/content/AirQuality_Final.pdf__] Green roofs can improve air quality by increasing oxygen production, lowering air temperatures and filtering contaminants. In a study of green roof’s impact on air quality in Singapore, scientists found a reduction in sulfur dioxides (specifically 37%), nitrous acid (21%). In addition, scientists estimated that 2,000 square meters of long grass green roof could remove up to 4,000 kg of particulate matter from the surrounding atmosphere.

[|__http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=c08fee28-05f0-4b98-a81a-281f8c3bc30e%40sessionmgr11&vid=4&hid=105&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=37572468__]  On green roofs the soil mixture and vegetation act as insulation, and temperatures fluctuate only mildly--hardly more than they would in a park or garden--reducing heating and cooling costs in the buildings below them by as much as 20 percent.

[|__http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7e4a8abc-f710-4202-a79b-7fafb04a7699%40sessionmgr15&vid=4&hid=12__] This PDF file consists of an experiment that had been previously done. The paper discusses the importance of green roofs and reviews previous research studies. In particular, this paper focuses on the role of plants for the heat flux reduction through the roof structure. The performance of the plant mate- rial was assessed in an environmental chamber by experiments with two samples, one with the plant material, and another one without the plant material. Overall, plants reduced the measured heat flux through the green roof sample by 40-50% compared to the roof sample without plants. In conclusion, plants have an important role in reducing the heat flux by regu- lating: (1) latent heat flux through better water management and additional water storage in the plant leaves/roots, and (2) sensible heat flux through additional shading provided by the plant leaves. Based on these results, future research will focus on thermal modeling of green roof including the role of plants.

-From top to bottom, a typical green roof consists of several layers: (1) vegetation, (2) substrate, (3) filter membrane, and (4) drainage layer.

-There are basically two types of green roofs, extensive and intensive. Extensive: lower weight, lower cost, low maintenance level, and substrate depth between 2 and 6 inches. Intensive: greater weight, higher costs, wider planting selection, higher maintenance requirements, and substrate depth between 8 and 24 inches. This consists of more structural support.

[|__http://www.showalterroofing.com/green-commercial.php__]

Heat absorbs differently based on the roofing system. Showalter Roofing tested the temperatures of four different type of roofing systems based on a single summer day of 90 degrees. The results clearly show hot asphalt absorbs the most heat and TPO or Thermal Plastic Roof absorbs the least

Single Ply materials (GAF TPO & IB PVC) TPO, Single Ply Membranes, is a flexible plastic material that does not contain chlorine or plasticizers. Because of the absence of chlorine, it can be classified as an environmentally safe 'green' product as well as being 100% recyclable. TPO is also flame retardant and has a reflective rating in the high .75 and when tested again after 3 years, still maintains a rating in the lower .70. It allows the cool air to stay in the building during summer and heat in the winter, keeping your energy consumption and bill payment down. ||

= //Updated October 19// = The plants on green roof are called succulent plants. They can handle the lack of water in the summer. Although the experiment is not taking place in summer, it is vital to know information year round about green roofs.

//Since I am conducting an interview with the director of technical marketing, I made up some questions to ask him.// What types of plants are best used on a green roof and why? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What are green roofs made of and why do you use these materials? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Are there different types of green roofs? How do they differ? How are they similar? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How does a green roof keep the inside of a building cool/warm? My experiment is in winter. What factors does this come into play? What about summer? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How is a green roof built? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How many companies, schools or houses have green roofs today in Chicago, or even local? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Experiments? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the normal temperature ON a green roof in summer and in winter? Why is this? Normal temperature of room underneath green roof? Why? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much, approximately, carbon dioxide is emitted from a green roof, comparing to a normal roof? Why is this? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What are the substrate depths of a typical green roof?

= = =// Updated October 20 //= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Questions answered by Mr. Wilms:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the substrate depths of the plants? 4-5 inches

What is the slope of the roof? Pretty flat What material is underneath the outer layer of the roof? How does it help insulate? Urethane insulation, insulate by having air pockets. Since this experiment is taking place in winter, is there anything else I should consider about this green roof in winter? Maybe snow cover.

// Updated October 26 // I was thinking of some issues with this experiment. Since it takes place in December, the observer can only conclude how green roofs are useful in winter.I origionally wanted to show the comparison between summer and winter, but I guess that's not possible. //And the experiment~ just a thought though...// This is a testable experiment, but is the independent and dependent variables strong enough to actually conduct a worthwhile experiment. People of whom I asked this questions say yes, but I am just not sure. I won't quit this experiment, but it's just a thought. A couple other things: interview with contact: undecided What are materials used in this experiment? AAAHHHH I need research from books. I don't have any ideas yet. Barely any books are on green roofs. I think I have to look at a better library........

Yesh, that's all.

= = =// Updated November 29 //= Importiant. I completed my Review of Literature!!! READ IT HERE. Here are the tracked changes/comments for your first draft paper. Great start Larissa!!!

= //Updated December 29, 2011// = Sorry about that, it took so long for anything to happen!

Finally, the experiment is set up and ready to be tested. @http://buildingdashboard.com/clients/d125/ d125 This is the site that all the data that is going to be taken is on. I started recording today. There are 4 times that I am recording the temp of the green roof throughout the day.

6:00 am 3:00 pm 7:00 pm 10:00 pm Right now, I am in the process of formatting my paper, perfecting the review of literature, starting my data, and finishing the hypothesis/procedure thing. Unfortunatley, I don't know how things went without me, so I can't follow up on the materials list or procedure YET. I'm meeting with Mr. Wilms on Tuesday to get that settled.

Another problem that has occurred is the site doesn't show the CO2 content. I don't know how that is going to be recorded, or IF it is going to be recorded. If we measure that along with temperature, there would be 2 variables. Here's what I know about that: the judges like the 2 variables thing, but it's not easy to maintain it, and keep it as perfect as can be. I may even end up with too much data, in which the judges would disgrace upon. So maybe I'll just stick to temperature.

Oh yes, fun fact for the day... Lindsey does this every day, so now I must do this... It's my mom's birthday tomorrow. :) THERE.


 * Happy Birthday to your Mother! ** I think you would be fine just to measure the temperature, you may be able to measure CO2 in a later experiment. You will have a clear independent variable as your roofs and for your dependent, which temperatures are you taking? There are a few temperatures listed for data collection, are you using all of them?

=// Updated Jan. 17, 2012 //= I haven't gotten a chance to really write what my experiment is now. Since I met with Mr. Wilms, I have changed a couple components to the experiment.

First of all, scratch the four times of data I would have been taking. I stayed up long hours taking that data, and yet it was unsucessful for data taking. I realized it would have to be an hour by hour process. Mr. Wilms, fortunatley, has a website set up that can take hour by hour readings of the roof. There are three places on the roof that I am taking data from: below the roof, which is a sensor taped to the inside of the school's roof, on the roof, which is a sensor taped directly onto the roof, and one meter above the roof, which is a sensor taped on a plastic stick 1 m. above the roof. Sensors are like that for both roofs.

Now, here is the reason why I am changing the data hours. The data I was taking isn't comparable to likewise data. This way, if I measure hour by hour, I can compare and create analytical data by putting together several hour tempatures and discovering a result. Therefore now, we have statistics, instead of just data.

Down here, I have a clear explanation of what times I am going to record the data for. In between each stretch of data, I am going to have a 2 hr. break. I am NOT taking data for 24 hours a day. (a note: this is a clock that shows the 24 hrs in a day, not a normal analog clock... and sorry for the bad drawing)

The data should already be done and taken by Mr. Wilms. I do not have access to that website, so Mr. Wilms is going to give it to me later. I planned on a simple week of data to see what would result from it. One week should give me 28 peices of data, which I believe is a sufficient amount to have.

And a couple more things: 10 PM-2AM are the darkest hours of the day, which I believe is a good time to take data. Night really makes the data vary. 10 AM-2PM are the brightest hours of the day (as you can see, the hours are contrasting

4PM-2AM and 4AM-2PM are both transition periods, when data may contrast a lot. Transition periods contains sunrise and sunsets.

= //Updated Jan. 21, 2012// = Here is my revised review of literature. I fixed all comments, and hope it's good. I am getting my data on Tuesday.



=** //Updated Jan. 24, 2012// **=
 * This is my data. Finally.**

=** //Updated Jan 30 2012// **=
 * THIS IS HOPEFULLY THE FINAL REVISED OF MY REVIEW OF LITERATURE.**

=**// Updated Feb 20, 2012 //**= This is just a little insight as to what is going on with my project: 1. I have finished the most detailed and astonishing version of my review of lit yet 2. I have finished procedure and hypothesis 3. I am mass producing graphs from the data I have

=**// Updated Feb 27, 2012 //**= Fun stuff: I just post this stuff on this site so I make sure I don't loose it.

= //Updated March 18, 2012// = ~Going to state~