EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sustainability is currently a central topic for building owners and developers, and due to the changing climate, it will become an even more important topic over the coming years. Hence, a thorough sustainability strategy made today may lead to significant long-term cost-savings, and improved human health and wellbeing tomorrow.

Different sustainability concepts and single measures are currently under investigation within all fields. This document gives visibility to the advantages and risks of green roof stormwater management on top of a building.

Due to the changing climate, storm intensities are forecasted to increase over the coming years in Germany, and elsewhere around the globe1 2. Thus, today’s building solutions must be adapted to the future world conditions to ensure resilient properties.

There are technical reasons why green stormwater management on the roof should be considered in the design. But there are many other reasons for this investment, which will be explained more in detail later within this document. Among others, one reason is the reputation of a landlord, especially regarding larger projects or city plans. Since green water management is becoming a standard, it should be considered in sustainability planning. Already now, municipalities have agreed on the green roofs as tools for stormwater management in their zoning plans, as part of a conceptional sustainability strategy.

Green detention roofs are established on-site stormwater management tools, leading to fewer additional space-constraining and costly at-grade structures, as well as fewer sealed areas. The combination of photovoltaic and green roof stormwater management should be the standard on larger roof areas, whether logistic center, office building, or residential buildings.