Renovate? 4 good reasons to do it green

Many clients like to get a renovation right the first time. So: sustainable, circular, and increasingly (literally) green. So as a builder/contractor, make sure you know what's on the market. If the desire for green is expressed, then facades and roofs offer opportunities to realize that. There are lots of good reasons to choose green when renovating. How about the four below?

Reason 1: temperature management

Green roofs and facades form a natural insulating shell around a building. They regulate temperature and thus improve energy efficiency. In the summer, the green jacket keeps most of the heat out, so the air conditioning doesn't have to be on as often and/or for as long. In the winter, the building loses much less heat, and that too translates to energy bills. Combining a green roof with solar panels further increases the efficiency of the panels by as much as 10%! Then the energy bill falls even lower.

Reason 2: stormwater management

With the unprecedented downpours we are increasingly receiving, rainwater management is especially important during a renovation. A green roof - depending on system and planting - absorbs as much as 25 to 160 gallons of rainwater per m2. That means tremendous relief of pressure on the sewer system. And thus less risk of flooding and flooded basement. The rainwater is collected and released very slowly. Green facades can also play a big role in today's climate challenges.

Note: Because an intake of 160 liters of rainwater per square meter creates quite a lot of weight, it is necessary to calculate the load-bearing capacity of the roof before construction.

Reason 3: more birds, more insects

A green roof is made extra attractive by spearheading biodiversity in plant selection. This is the expertise of specialized green roofs/facades companies, as well as many landscapers. Different types of plants attract different birds, bees and butterflies. Often the company offers ready-made mixes with sedum plants, herbs, grasses and host plants. This creates a green, nutrient-rich area for birds, insects and butterflies in the midst of construction. This is great because fewer and fewer insects and butterflies are being counted. While certainly bees and bumblebees play a leading role as pollinators of fruit trees and many other edible crops. A green roof and/or façade acts as a food source, but is also a place to rest.

Reason 4: just beautiful

Greenery does something to people's moods. A green roof or façade gives a building a friendly look. Everyone becomes happy at the sight of flowers, plants and trees. So a green roof or façade is an aesthetic enhancement, or in other words, just beautiful. Many green roof and facade systems are fully customizable. They can follow the shape of a building, accentuate certain parts, and in terms of planting, anything is possible.

Keeping the greenery truly green requires water. Rainwater will largely provide that, but in dry periods irrigation is needed. There are systems that require the greenery to be watered manually, to fully automated sensor-controlled systems that control irrigation, possibly also in combination with fertilization.