Today we have the pleasure to air Roland Appl’s video presentation “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Aramis and I first met Roland in Nürtingen, Germany in 2004 at the inaugural International Green Roof Congress sponsored by IGRA – the International Green Roof Association.  What a first class person and a first class event!  After the conference, the native German was our amiable and knowledgeable Green Roof Tour leader who took our large group to several beautiful sites around Nürtingen and Unterensingen.

One was the awesome ZinCo International Headquarters with about 12 expansive extensive greenroofs, above, and one beautiful intensive greenroof, below, on site used for hosting visitor and employee gatherings.  The premises was later used as testing grounds for developing their solar system used in conjunction with vegetated roofs.

Another stop, included in Roland’s video, is ZinCo’s first project combining the two green technologies of greenroofs and photovoltaics – the Schule Unterensingen, below, where 200 solar panels and an extensive greenroof grace the top roof of this large primary school in Unterensingen.  Read more in my previous Sky Gardens column about the 2004 International Green Roof Congress here.

By the way, both ZinCo GmbH and ZinCo USA have been steady advertising supporters of Greenroofs.com since 2003, and ZinCo USA is one of our esteemed Sponsors.  We’re grateful for their continued support!

Roland Appl has been working as a green roof engineer for more than 25 years in the Stuttgart region in Germany.  As the Technical Director of the green roof system developer and supplier ZinCo, he has been involved in several technical innovations (e.g. thermally insulating green roofs, green roofs and photovoltaics).  He is designing green roof systems dedicated to all kind of possible applications.  Roland is member of the research group “Green Roofs” of the FLL and he was also speaker at the GRHC conferences in Boston, Minneapolis, Baltimore and Toronto.

In 2009 Roland Appl was elected president of the International Green Roof Association ( IGRA), which was responsible for the “International Green Roof Congress 2009 “Bringing Nature Back to Town” in Nürtingen near Stuttgart.  IGRA was also one of the organisers of the Skyrise Greenery Conference 2010 in Singapore (read my blog post about it here).

In Roland’s presentation, he explains how the synergistic effects of combining green roofs with photovoltaics are not limited to their installation – the substrate serves as ballast against wind-uplift and they are also noticeable in their operation: solar module efficiency is normally linked to temperatures.

As evaporation from the green roof cools the photovoltaic modules, in turn the process increases their efficiency – this is an important contribution to the environment and to climate protection.

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 19th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

In appreciation and celebration of the Earth’s natural environment, 2012 will be the 42nd year of recognizing April 22 as Earth Day.

And, now in our 3rd year, Greenroofs.com will be doing our small part to promote the greening of our planet and encourage the sustainable design of earth-friendly living architecture by once again sponsoring our “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest in celebration of Earth Day 2012.

In 2010 the beautiful corporate offices of ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky won, above, and last year the sinuous residential/multi-use hi-rise Aqua, below, took home the prize with the most votes cast.

What is it?

A fun photo contest!  The mission of the “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest is to create interest in all kinds, styles, and sizes of beautiful living architecture and highlight some outstanding designs.  It’s designed to be quick and simple, and basically is a popularity contest among our international readership.  Any and all types of greenroofs are eligible, any place on Earth.

All you have to do is submit a photo and tell your friends and colleagues vote for your favorite greenroof!  We’ll be keeping everyone updated on the number of votes for each project on our Facebook page.

Each planted roof needs to visually epitomize its relationship to our planet – it needs to show us that it’s a living example of loving the Earth – in other words, don’t just send a close-up of pretty flowers!  Show the greenroof in context with its site.

The contest is open to everyone, not just the roof owner or the designers of record. And voting is open to everyone, too, as many times as you like but only once per day, so tell your friends to vote for your submission.

Yes, it has to be a gorgeous photo of a spectacular greenroof, but remember that this is a popularity contest, too!

What do I have to do to enter the contest or vote?

Like us on Facebook first, then just click on the “Submit an entry” tab and follow the directions:  Tell us how it is a living example of loving the Earth and worthy of being an example of forward-thinking sustainable design in the caption field of the submittal form to let everyone know why they should vote for this particular project photo.  Upload your photo, then let your friends in on the action!  Enter early so you can get people to vote often!

To vote, click on the “View entries” tab where you can cast your daily ballot.

It does not have to be “your” project – just make sure to follow the photo submissions rules.

What do I get if “my” project wins?

The photo with the most votes will be announced as the winner.  The winner will have “their” project highlighted on Greenroofs.com as an upcoming Greenroof Project of the Week, and we’ll feature you in a Sky Gardens Blog interview so you can really tell us more about this living roof and why you love it so much.

And, as a humble token of our esteem, the winner will also receive $100.

How It Works

•   Enter by 12:00 PM Eastern time, April 21, 2012
•   Vote from 11:59 PM, April 3 until 11:59 PM, April 21, 2012
•   Winner selection is Sunday, April 22, 2012 – Earth Day!

Read all about it, including the always popular Official Rules, and submit an entry now!

Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!  (So take a photo of it, too, and send it in!)

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air the panel presentation “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table” with George Irwin, Tom Ferraro, and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

We’re happy that George is an editorial contributor to Greenroofs.com as The Green Wall Editor (2008).  Outspoken and sometimes even a bit brazen, he always shoots from the hip and writes from the heart and George has become a true friend and staunch supporter of ours.  With George’s excellent work combining his greenroof and greenwall systems with education for youth and the underprivileged plus his implementation of vertical food farms, I felt he would make an excellent leader of a panel on the subject.

This panel of experts addresses how urban agriculture is on the rise globally – up the walls and on rooftops.  Fresh, local crops benefit the entire community for many reasons.  U.S. Congressman Tom Reed from the 29th district of New York, Tom Ferraro, CEO of Foodlink – a national network of 200 food banks – and George Irwin, CEO of Green Living Technologies International (GLTi), provide interactive conversation and commentary concerning the impact of education, economics and opportunity around local food production with green walls and roofs.

Rochester-based GLTi started in New York City and has since grown nationally and internationally through education and collaborative hands-on projects with local youth, the underprivileged and disadvantaged in New York and Los Angeles and with business partnerships in Santiago, Dubai, and beyond to include their Food Factory and more.

George Irwin is founder and CEO of Green Living Technologies International, LLC (GLTi), a privately held company manufacturing patented Green Living Walls and Green Living Roofs, and is a global pioneer in vertical agriculture.  Prior to founding GLTi, George was a landscape contractor for two dozen years.  He holds a degree in education and his mission is to help create sustainable solutions to the challenges of food insecurity and the dearth of job opportunities for at risk youth throughout America’s inner cities. His efforts have earned him recognition as an official education partner for the New York City Department of Education and additional higher education facilities, with the development of a GLTi-dedicated degree track in “Green Tech” education at secondary schools in multiple states.  The first high school is scheduled to open in September of 2012.  George is also a contributing editor on Greenroofs.com (2008); he is The Green Wall Editor and talks about his own experience as well as industry happenings within the field.

George is the Moderator for “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table.”

Tom Ferraro is Executive Director of Foodlink.  Founded in 1978, it has grown to serve a 10-county area in the Greater Rochester area.  As a founding member of Feeding America, Foodlink is part of a national network of 200 food banks whose mission is to provide hunger relief, eliminate the root causes of hunger, improve health and promote economic development.  They do this through the distribution of food to a network of agencies and by empowering individuals through nutritional and agricultural programs.  Foodlink’s vision is to build a hunger-free community and sustainable regional food system in which every individual has access to nutritious food and is empowered with the tangible skills to lead a healthy and productive life.  Locally, they rescue and redistribute over 11 million pounds of food annually to a network of 450 programs.  Today, the food bank’s network of agencies serve 102,000 meals each week, or over 5 million meals annually to an estimated 125,000 different people.

U.S. Congressman Tom Reed was elected to represent the 29th District of New York in a special election held November 2, 2010.  He took office during the “lame duck” session of the 111th Congress and began his own full two year term in the 112th Congress on January 5, 2011.  In June 2011 Congressman Reed was recently appointed to the Committee on Ways and Means and serves on the Human Resources and Oversight subcommittees of Ways and Means.  Tom previously served on the Rules, Judiciary, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.  He graduated from Alfred University in 1993 with a degree in Political Science and from the Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1996.  Tom says, “Job creation and the nation’s financial health are the most important challenges facing the country and upstate New York.”

After the presentation on the second day of the 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit, George Irwin and Tom Ferraro were available for the live Q & A session; the transcript was available archived for 30 days for participants of the Virtual Summit – unfortunately, we do not have it available now – one of the reasons to participate in this year’s Virtual Summit!

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 17th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

We are so pleased to welcome Kevin Songer to our ever-growing band of contributing editors here on Greenroofs.com!

I first became aware of Kevin through his many posts within our industry blogosphere a couple of years ago, and finally started corresponding with him after I read about the wonderful Breaking Ground Green Roof in Jacksonville, Florida.

He is quite a dynamo in the greenroof & vegetated wall arena and the social media world as well!  I enjoyed and admired his work with native plantings so much that we made the Breaking Ground Green Roof the Greenroofs.com Greenroof Project of the Week for June 27, 2011.

After reading about his work here in high-wind prone northeastern Florida, I realized that Kevin would make an excellent panel member for our nascent Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit.  And so along with Dr. Bill Retzlaff, David Aponte, and Joe Webb, the idea for the “Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.” Panel Session was born for our inaugural 2011 Virtual Summit:

And now, continuing on this windy theme, comes Kevin’s basis for his weekly blog column about this particularly interesting yet tricky subject: Tropical Green Roofs.

There are so many sides to Kevin Songer – where do I begin?  How about here, in About Us:

Kevin Songer, J.D., ISA Certified Arborist & Municipal Specialist, LEED AP BD+C, is our Tropical Green Roof Editor (March, 2012).

Kevin serves as green roof expert for MetroVerde, a Florida based vertical green design company.  He was awarded the 2011 ‘Green Hero’ of the year award and the 2009 Innovation in Landscape and Water Conservation recognition by the Northeast Florida Chapter of the USGBC.  Kevin has spoken of the economic and ecological benefits associated with green roofs at numerous functions and seminars.  He served on Greenroofs.com’s “Wind, Water, Heat, Grow. Greenroofs.” panel during the 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit.

Kevin writes a daily green roof blog, Living Green Roofs, and contributes green roof notes to the Native Plant and Wildlife Garden web project. Kevin also holds an undergraduate degree in biology and the Juris Doctor degree from Florida Coastal School of Law with a focus in environmental law. Kevin lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife Judy.

Read Kevin Songer’s first post here on Greenroofs.com:  Intro to Tropical Green Roofs.

I hope you’ll enjoy Kevin’s posts as the Tropical Green Roofs Editor and become part of the discussion – I certainly plan to!

Happy Greening,

Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from March 23rd, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for March 23rd, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

- Our project of the week is the WaterShed House, built in 2011 in Washington, DC.  This prototype solar house entry from the team at the University of Maryland won the U.S. Department of Energy 2011 Solar Decathlon – an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive.  WaterShed is a solar-powered home inspired and guided by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, interconnecting the house with its landscape to promote sustainability and ecosystem protection.  Two rectangular modules form the house, and it is capped by a split-butterfly roof, which is well suited to capturing and using sunlight and rainwater.

Key features of the house include a greenroof to retain stormwater and reduce the volume and velocity of run-off, and constructed wetlands to filter stormwater and grey water for reuse.  The south module of the WaterShed House has an extensive greenroof supplied by the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System with LiveRoof Lite modules.  LiveRoof modules feature the company’s Soil Elevator™ and Moisture Portal™, horticultural innovations that establish a greenroof as a cohesive ecosystem.  The LiveRoof design unifies the entire installation into a naturally functioning biological system.  Natural function maximizes plant health, long-term sustainability, rooftop aesthetics, roof membrane protection, and environmental benefits.

What’s New

- Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

- Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 15: ”E = MC2 of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction” by Christopher Wark.

And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.

- Advertiser Press Releases:

- Tremco Headquarters Renovation Receives Cleveland Engineering Society Award.

- Tecta America Corp. Announces Enhancement of Tecta Green Website.

- LiveRoof® Launches Overburden Removal Warranty Program for its Green Roof System.

- Work and relaxation on a pitched roof: functional roof landscape at SOLON SE in Berlin-Adlershof by ZinCo.

- Joblinks

- Sika Sarnafil USA is seeing an Inside Sales Representative in Canton, MA.

- Industry News

- The District of Columbia is a national leader in the total amount of Greenroofs constructed – second only to Chicago, IL in the total area of greenroofs per capita.  The District’s Green Roof Rebate Program is the perfect way to fund your greenroof – and it’s now back in full swing.  Anacostia Watershed Society is offering $5 per square foot on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified DC buildings of any size!

- Guest Blogger

- Read our guest blog post, “Greening the District with Green Roofs,” by Laura S. Washington, Green Roof Rebate Program Coordinator, of the Anacostia Watershed Society.  And also our guest feature article, “Portland Builds Over 100,000 Square Feet of Greenroofs in 2011,” by Casey Cunningham, Landscape Architect with the City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Division.

- Sky Gardens Blog

And over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “CitiesAlive Call for Papers Extended to March 29, 2012,” “Greenroofs.com’s “This Week in Review” on GreenroofsTV for March 16th, March 9th, and 2nd, 2012” respectively, and “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 15: E = MC² of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction.”

- “Upcoming Events”

- March 23rd & 24th: is the Open House & Plant Sale, Good Earth Plants & GreenScaped Buildings, in San Diego, CA.

- March 23rd-25th: is the Better Living Show – Home, Garden & Lifestyle, in Portland, OR.

- March 29th-30th: is the 10th Annual New York State Green Building Conference, in Syracuse, NY.

- “In the News”

- Richard Lee, of the Danbury News Times, reports on “LaurelRock adds ‘green walls’ to its offerings.”  Earlier this week, LaurelRock, a Wilton-based landscape design and installation business, hosted George Irwin, CEO of Green Living Technologies International [and one of our contributing editors], where he demonstrated how his company creates green walls.  LaurelRock is the exclusive installer of GLTi’s patented panel technology in the company’s service area.  LaurelRock President Burt DeMarche believes gardeners will be interested in GLTi’s “edible walls” concept, because they can produce fruits, vegetables, and herbs in an easier way for gardeners who want to grow their own food but don’t have the time or energy to do it the “old-fashioned way.”

At the Millstone Farm presentation, George stood by a 2×6 foot frame holding plants including moss, waffle leaf, palm, ferns and more; and he said, “this wall has light indoor plants which are relatively low maintenance.  They provide an incredible opportunity to clean the air in the room” and that his “idea was to mimic Mother Nature.  It provides an opportunity for roots to migrate from cell to cell.”  Green Living Technologies International developed a program with the Innovation Charter School in Harlem, where students learn the technology, preparing them for work a companies like LaurelRock.

- Bill Marken, of Garden Design Magazine, talks about “Green Roofs.”  He reflects on the evolution of greenroofs being just an “eco-fantasy” to becoming the current “eco-solution.” He says greenroofs have become natural fits for many public buildings, thanks to the environmental and financial benefits like energy efficiency, storm-water management, sound insulation, while also being habitats for birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects and animals that help our environment.  Residential greenroofs will accomplish most of the same environmental goals but the financial benefits will take longer to realize.  There are do-it-yourself kits nowadays but developing a sustainable green roof usually calls for someone who knows the structural demands, assembly systems, drainage, local conditions, plants, and maintenance.

To explore the possibilities of having a greenroof of your very own, author Ed Snodgrass, and contributing editor here at greenroofs.com, suggests starting out with a doghouse or a birdhouse.  He says, “starting with a birdhouse is a good first step to getting your feet wet and understanding the limits – and opportunities – of growing plants in such a shallow root space.”  And from there, there’s no place to go but up!

- To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.

- Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

- Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

- This has been This Week in Review for March 23rd, 2012 on GreenroofsTV. I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

The world’s largest grassroots environmental movement, Earth Hour is almost upon us!  This Saturday, March 31, the Velazquez family here in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA and hundreds of millions of environmentally aware people across our planet will once again show their commitment to the Earth and voluntarily turn off all their non-essential lights for Earth Hour, 8:30 – 9:30 pm local time.

Started in 2007 when WWF-Australia inspired Sydney to show their support for climate change action, Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative to a 5,251 city strong global movement.  In 2011 it encompassed 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across all seven continents.

This year Earth Hour has a new campaign – “I Will If You Will” – using YouTube as their video platform youtube.com/earthhour to encourage people to share a personal dare with the world by asking “What are you willing to do to save the planet?” Earth Hour’s Co-Founder and Executive Director says:

“I Will If You Will gives every individual the opportunity to inspire their friends, colleagues and neighbours to take sustainability actions not just on the hour but beyond the hour.

The challenges we are seeing from all walks of life are truly inspiring” ~ Andy Ridley

Of course, they want us to go beyond the hour, using this event as a catapult to inspire more action.  Watch this cool Earth Hour 2012 video below from YouTube:

You can download a wallpaper, or even send an e-card to your friends and family here.

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with WWF and Leo Burnett. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM to show their support for environmentally sustainable action.  In 2012, Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organisations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour.  Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2011 reached over 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the World’s largest campaign for the planet.’

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries.  WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Earth Hour aims to encourage an interconnected global community to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world.  We couldn’t agree more!  Enter your pledge for Earth Hour 2012, see how you can create buzz for this worldwide event, and learn more.

Happy greening, and Make sure to turn off your lights this Saturday night on March 31, 2012, at 8:30pm, wherever you are!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air Christopher Wark’s video presentation “E = MC2 of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Chris has been an editorial contributor to Greenroofs.com as The Energy Editor since 2010.  In April 2011 he completed his seven-part series entitled “Cooler Than Cool Roofs: How Heat Doesn’t Move Through a Green Roof.”  He and his wife, Wendy, have been great friends of ours since we met them in 2003 in Chicago, at the first Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Trade Show.  Here they are on the Highline when we visited in New York City back in May, 2010:

Christopher Wark has 23 years of multidisciplinary engineering experience providing mechanical, analytical, and electronics support and services to manufacturers, universities and national labs.  For the past 10 years, he has focused his efforts on the development and promotion of technical solutions in architecture and construction.  Chris is currently an Associate with WSP Flack + Kurtz, managing their building analysis group.

Before joining WSP Flack + Kurtz, Chris was a Senior Energy Analyst for Viridian Energy & Environmental. Previous to that, he provided energy analysis and LEED consulting services for several companies, including subsidiaries of the Integral Group, and served as Technical Sales Manager for Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis Division (formerly Flomerics Inc.), offering energy and air flow analysis solutions for architectural engineers.

In 2002, Chris established SHADE Consulting/Green Roof Innovations with his wife Wendy.  With SHADE/GRI, Chris developed and marketed several innovative modular eco-roof systems, a roof system heat transfer and cost computer program, and conducted green roof system heat transfer analyses for 5 major cities and organizations.  In 2010, he developed a modular planting system in partnership with Guiyang Chuangjia High-Tech Accelerator Co. LTD in Guiyang, China.

Chris has also been involved in other thermodynamic related work, including advanced engine research and fuel cell system development at Caterpillar Inc. and laser development at Lawrence Livermore National Lab and 2 private research laser development companies.  He has presented at numerous conferences, has several articles published on a wide variety of engineering topics, and has had the privilege of working directly with several universities, including Stanford’s Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) program.  Chris holds Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering (with a minor in Materials Science) from Washington State University.  His graduate work focused on thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and combustion.

In Chris’ video he discusses how the amount of energy savings from a green roof is determined by a combination of its mission:  How the building spaces are used; climate:  Where in the world, where in the neighborhood; and construction:  Building size, shape, and internal design.  Best and worst candidates are examined.  During the Virtual Summit, Chris’ video presentation was followed by a live 15-Minute Live Q & A; the transcript was available archived for 30 days for participants of the Virtual Summit – unfortunately, we do not have it available now – one of the reasons to participate in this year’s Virtual Summit!

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “E = MC2 of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our xth installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air João Manuel Linck Feijó’s “The Work of ATVBrasil” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

An agronomy engineer, João hails from Porto Alegre, Brazil and has been a part of the greenroof scene for quite some time now.  We met him in 2006 in Boston at the 3rd Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Trade Show (now CitiesAlive).  He had an innovative modular greenroof system, Ecotelhado, which since then has blossomed into other products and has done quite well in Brasil and neighboring countries, and is now in Mexico as well.  His non-profit work has helped establish greenroofs and walls within Brazil.

Principal of Ecotelhado, João Manuel Linck Feijó’s firm offers green infrastructure solutions through the manufacture of green roof and green wall systems and consulting services.  He is also the Director of ATVBrasil, a non-profit organization working to promote green infrastructure in Brazil, which has been disseminating green roof and wall information in many cities and proposing projects of law for green roofs all across the country since 2005.  João is a World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) board member.

ATV Brasil is a non profit association whose objectives are to promote the construction of green roofs and vegetated walls in Brazil whose mission is to supply background information for legislation, to incentivize research, and to show the impacts of vegetated roofs in urban ecology.

I’m sure you’ll love the scenery and energy in this lively video of lovely Brazil!

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “The Work of ATVBrasil” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

Episode #13: ”Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends” by Wolfgang Ansel.
Episode #12: ”Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.” Panel Session with Dr. Bill Retzlaff, David Aponte, Kevin Songer, and Joe Webb.
Episode #11: ”GreenRoofs in Australasia” by Matthew Dillon.
Episode #10: ”The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities: An Interview with Patrick Blanc” by Patrick Blanc and me with an introduction by Caroline Menetre.
Episode #9: ”Sloped and Complex Green Roofs” by Richard Hayden.
Episode #8: ”The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.
Episode #7: ”Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade.
Episode# 6: ”Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett.
Episode #5: ”Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.
Episode #4: Keynote Address “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” by Ralph Velasquez.
Episode #3: ”CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” by Rosemarie Andolino.
Episode #2: ”2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” by Haven Kiers and me.
Episode #1: Opening Keynote Address “A New Place” by Charlie Miller.
VS2011 Opening Address by Linda Velazquez (me!).

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 15th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air Wolfgang Ansel’s ”Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Wolfgang Ansel is a biologist who studied at the University of Hohenheim, Germany.  He is currently the Director of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA).  IGRA`s targets include the worldwide promotion of the ecological green roof idea, an international knowledge transfer in the field of green roofs and the stimulation of international standards for good practices and reliable green roof technology.  Wolfgang Ansel is co-author of different green roof books.  During the last year he was an invited speaker at congresses in Europe, North America and Asia.  One of his main areas of work is implementing green roof policies and guidelines on an international level.

In Wolfgang’s presentation he says that green roof policies are one of the basic key factors for the successful development of a green roof market.  Longstanding experiences and case studies from different countries and municipalities are creating a source of ideas that can be adapted and modified according to the needs of the local green roof stakeholders.  His video highlights success stories and failures likewise.  Information from Europe, North America and Asia will be merged into a “Best Practice Guideline for Green Roof Policies.”

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

Episode #12: ”Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.” Panel Session with Dr. Bill Retzlaff, David Aponte, Kevin Songer, and Joe Webb.
Episode #11: ”GreenRoofs in Australasia” by Matthew Dillon.
Episode #10: ”The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities: An Interview with Patrick Blanc” by Patrick Blanc and me with an introduction by Caroline Menetre.
Episode #9: ”Sloped and Complex Green Roofs” by Richard Hayden.
Episode #8: ”The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.
Episode #7: ”Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade.
Episode# 6: ”Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett.
Episode #5: ”Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.
Episode #4: Keynote Address “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” by Ralph Velasquez.
Episode #3: ”CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” by Rosemarie Andolino.
Episode #2: ”2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” by Haven Kiers and me.
Episode #1: Opening Keynote Address “A New Place” by Charlie Miller.
VS2011 Opening Address by Linda Velazquez (me!).

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 14th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air Matthew Dillon’s “GreenRoofs in Australasia” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Matthew is a hoot of a straight-shootin’ Aussie – a great guy with a dry sense of humor and passion for promoting greenroofs within Australia and New Zealand with GreenRoofs Australasia (formerly Green Roofs Australia).  Supported by the City of Sydney, last November they presented the 5th National Greening Cities Conference, in Sydney, Australia.

“Green Roofs Australia is a not-for-profit membership organization with an elected committee that draws together the various governmental, organizational and business groups and individuals interested in being kept informed about green roof science, technology, practice, regulations and specifications.” ~ GreenRoofs Australasia

Although we had corresponded, Aramis and I finally met him in Mexico City in October, 2010, when we both spoke at the WGIN Mexico City World Green Roof Congress – El Congreso Mundial de Azoteas Verdes México 2010 (see Reflections of Fall 2010 Greenroof Conferences: Mexico City, Part 1).

Not only did Mathew present at our inaugural Virtual Summit, GreenRoofs Australasia supported our efforts and was represented in our Associates Pavilion at the Expo.

We had the extreme pleasure of seeing him again and meeting his beautiful girlfriend last December in Philadelphia as well.   Here are Aramis and Matt at the Closing Party from CitiesAlive in Philly:

Matthew Dillon hails from Newtown, Australia and since 1980 has expanded his architectural discipline to also encompass interior architecture, sustainable building design, landscape design, public sculpture and green infrastructure for the built form.  He is the current vice president of GreenRoofs Australasia and a member of World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), being primarily focused on advocacy to promote the industry.

In his “GreenRoofs in Australasia” video (where he is joined briefly by his four-legged best friend), Matthew says, “As the impacts of climate change have now become a significant political issue and a major public concern in Australia there is a growing support for green infrastructure technology for the built form in urban planning.

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “GreenRoofs in Australasia” or click below:

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

Episode #10: “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities: An Interview with Patrick Blanc” by Patrick Blanc and me with an introduction by Caroline Menetre.
Episode #9: “Sloped and Complex Green Roofs” by Richard Hayden.
Episode #8: “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.
Episode #7: “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade.
Episode# 6: “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett.
Episode #5: “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.
Episode #4: Keynote Address “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” by Ralph Velasquez.
Episode #3: “CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” by Rosemarie Andolino.
Episode #2: “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” by Haven Kiers and me.
Episode #1: Opening Keynote Address “A New Place” by Charlie Miller.
VS2011 Opening Address by Linda Velazquez (me!).

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 12th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.