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Green Water from Green Roofs—The Ecological and Economic Effects

Author

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  • Agnieszka Bus

    (Department of Environmental Development, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Anna Szelągowska

    (Innovative City Department, Collegium of Business Administration, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Niepodleglosci 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

Green roofs (GRs) have been one of the most popular solutions for water harvesting in urban areas. Apart from their water retention role and increasing biodiversity, they constitute the missing link between the built and the natural environment, which is required for sustainable human living in cities. This paper aims to calculate the ecological (EE) and economic effect (EcE) of water harvesting via GRs, by contrasting with a traditional roof, and to perform an economic analysis of the social cost benefits that GRs generate during their life cycle, using the Net Present Value (NPV) method. All the calculations and analyses were conducted for both intensive and extensive GRs in 11 of the largest municipalities in Poland, with a population of >250,000 inhabitants. According to the results of this study, water retention and the economic and ecological effects of GRs are highest in the municipalities with the highest assumed number of GRs (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, and Szczecin). The average EE and EcE equals 507,000 m 3 /yr and 621,000 USD/yr. The NPV results show that the effectiveness of investments in intensive GRs is, to a certain extent, more significant than in extensive GRs and the average equals 60.77 and 4.47 USD/yr for intensive and extensive GRs, respectively. The results could serve as a reference for the evaluation and optimization of the energy efficiency of rainwater harvesting schemes, in European cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnieszka Bus & Anna Szelągowska, 2021. "Green Water from Green Roofs—The Ecological and Economic Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2403-:d:504540
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Agnieszka Karczmarczyk & Agnieszka Bus & Anna Baryła, 2021. "Assessment of the Efficiency, Environmental and Economic Effects of Compact Type On-Site Wastewater Treatment Plants—Results from Random Testing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    6. Antonia Longobardi & Roberta D’Ambrosio & Mirka Mobilia, 2019. "Predicting Stormwater Retention Capacity of Green Roofs: An Experimental Study of the Roles of Climate, Substrate Soil Moisture, and Drainage Layer Properties," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Aikaterini N. Martini & Maria Papafotiou & Ioannis Massas & Nikoleta Chorianopoulou, 2022. "Using the Halophyte Crithmum maritimum in Green Roofs for Sustainable Urban Horticulture: Effect of Substrate and Nutrient Content Analysis including Potentially Toxic Elements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Friederike Well & Ferdinand Ludwig, 2021. "Development of an Integrated Design Strategy for Blue-Green Architecture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.

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