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Robust growth.
That’s the latest account from the green-roof industry as related in the 2012 Annual Industry Survey conducted by the Green Roofs for Health Cities (GRHC).
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Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Survey/City of Chicago |
The City of Chicago is the “undisputed green roof leader of the past decade,” with more than 5 million square feet of installed green roofs, GRHC said.
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GRHC representatives report that green-roof installations increased by 115% over the course of 2011, up significantly from the 28.5% recorded in 2010. Projects totaling more than 16 million square feet were installed in 2011, compared to nearly 5 million in 2010.
“We are definitely beginning to see results from policy support that has increased over the past few years,” said Jeffrey L. Bruce, GRHC chair. “The industry is also benefiting from the more than 500 accredited Green Roof Professionals (GRPs) in the market, who are committed to driving future industry growth.”
The organization’s corporate members take part in the independent annual survey, providing information on the square footage of green roofs installed, location, and the type of roof project—intensive, semi-intensive or extensive, the group said.
Survey Highlights
GHRC said 870 green roof projects were installed in 2011, up from 713 in 2010. Similar to past years, a “fairly even split” was reported between public and private green-roof projects, with 347 identified as private, 326 as public and the remainder “unspecified.”
In addition to the strongest growth rate recorded since the survey was first conducted in 2004, the data showed that Washington D.C. vaulted into first place among the Top Ten U.S. Metropolitan Regions, with more than 800,000 square feet of green roofs installed in 2011. Chicago, New York City, Nashville, Tenn., and Philadelphia round out the top five.
“We are proud that the District’s aggressive adoption of green infrastructure continues to pay off,” said Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “This is evidence that the District is moving toward my vision for a sustainable D.C. and will lead the nation in implementing green practices and growing a green economy. We are fully committed to being number one again next year.”
Chicago, however, remains in the top spot as the “undisputed green roof leader of the past decade,” with more than 5 million square feet of installed green roofs, GRHC said. The city is 1 million square feet ahead of any other metro region in North America.
Chicago will also co-host the organization’s CitiesAlive: 10th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference, scheduled for Oct.17-20.
More information: www.citiesalive.org.
The GRHC also said the overall growth rate of the green-roof industry is reflected in the experience of GRHC member companies across North America.
Portland, Ore.-based Columbia Green is one such company. Its CEO, Vanessa Keitges, said, “I continue to be excited by the opportunities we find in the green-roof marketplace, looking at both the overall growth of the industry as well as the 200% growth for our company last year. It is a great time to be part of the green roof industry."
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is a membership-based industry association with a stated mission of developing the green roof and wall industry in North America.
More information: www.greenroofs.org.
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