Sustainable Insights          

In the world of sustainable building, green roofs are becoming more popular in new construction and renovation projects. The investment in covering a roof with soil and plants can pay off through mitigating storm water runoff, lessening the heat island effect, and offsetting interior heating and cooling costs.

Nicole Goldman, owner of ‘g’ Green Design Center, a Massachusetts-based company specializing in green building materials, recently installed an experimental green roof on her home located in Woods Hole, MA. Goldman’s green roof is covered with a layer of synthetic and natural drainage layers, soil, and a variety of low-maintenance plants.

To monitor conditions on her green roof, Goldman uses Onset’s HOBO U30/GSM Remote Monitoring System to track air temperature, humidity and soil moisture. When the water content in the soil drops below a specific level, the system sends an alarm notification to activate an irrigation system. Additionally, the data that the logger provides helps Goldman identify which plants thrive under what conditions.
Live data from Goldman’s green roof can be accessed here.