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Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

On Rooftops of Paris, Expect Green Roofs and Solar Panels

Author:     Tom Lawson
Source:     Yes!
Publication Date:     Aug 19, 2015
 Link: On Rooftops of Paris, Expect Green Roofs and Solar Panels
Stephan:   The French, who are not quite as under the control of the old energy corporations as the U.S -- ironically perhaps because so much of their power comes from nuclear technology so they are not a deeply in the grip of coal, gas, and oil -- has taken a very interesting step in the transition out of the old era. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I think it is good news.
Frrench "green" building. Credit: Ana Lisa Alperovich for Inhabitat via Flickr

Frrench “green” building.
Credit: Ana Lisa Alperovich for Inhabitat via Flickr

Green rooftops will soon be sprouting up across France, thanks to a new law passed in March.

Rooftop vegetation will provide habitat for birds, absorb pollutants, and retain rainwater.

New buildings in the country’s commercial zones—think shops, offices, and restaurants—must now have either solar panels or green roofs, meaning a growing medium such as soil and a covering of vegetation.

The new rooftop vegetation will provide habitat for birds, absorb airborne pollutants, reduce sewer overflow by retaining rainwater, and reduce the urban heat island effect whereby high concentrations of concrete buildings and asphalt increase air temperature. Green roofs could even improve worker productivity, with a recent study by the University of Melbourne finding that participants who took a 40-second break to look at a green roof were more focused and accurate when they got back to work compared to those who viewed a concrete roof.

John Farrell, the director of democratic energy at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, […]

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