The New York State Legislature just passed legislation to offer a one-year tax credit for the installation of green roofs. This credit is up to $100,000 for any building owner that is basically willing to incorporate vegetation into their rooftops. Essentially, a "green" roof is one topped with a waterproof membrane that's then covered with soil and certain types of vegetation.
Why install a green roof? Green roofs can improve the insulation of a building, which can lower energy costs, they reduce higher temperatures in cities by absorbing the sun's heat, and they absorb rainwater, which eases the burden on aging sewer systems like those in New York and other older cities.
Green roof technology was developed in Germany in the 1960s, and that country currently has green roofs on an estimated 10 percent of all buildings. There are several cities in America now moving full-force into green roofing, such as Chicago, Atlanta and Portland. And the largest commercial application of this technology is the roof at the Ford Motor Company's River Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, which contains 450,000 square feet of vegetation.
This new credit offers the equivalent of $4.50 per square foot of green roof area, and rooftops must be at least fifty percent "green" to qualify. These credits can be applied for in 2009, so if you're still debating the best way to start your personal green evolution, perhaps a good idea is to start at the top.
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07/19/08 @ 22:19 Permalink
07/20/08 @ 15:50 
