Benefits of plants on the roof
For a number of years in the United States of America and in Europe there have been subsidies for people wanting to turn their flat roofs into gardens. Even in Cyprus, 30 percent of each effort to save energy (improving installations, the shell of houses or planting on the roof) is subsidized. In Germany, over 13 million square meters of terrace have been planted. In Greece, however, the owner of a building is given financial incentives to plant on the roof only in the case of commercial investments. Plants reduce a building’s temperature in the summer months, lower energy costs and solve environmental problems such as the urban heat island effect. Even on days of moderate temperatures – about 24 Celsius (75 Fahrenheit) – surface temperatures on a conventional roof can reach 65.5C. This increase causes a corresponding change in the temperature of the building’s interior.
