Greensulate’s New Blog: “Live From the Roof”

Greensulate is excited to announce the launch of our new blog, “Live From the Roof.”

We plan on “Live from the Roof” becoming the place for our clients, supporters, friends, colleagues and those curious about green roofing in general to come learn about the latest developments, news and cutting-edge technologies. We will also share updates, images, video and background related to our current projects. We are very excited to be able to share news in real time and frequently write educational articles to inform people of the myriad benefits of installing a green roof. You can visit the blog via the front page of our website!

We are Women: Hear Us Roar!
Greensulate now a New York City Certified Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE)

Admittedly, we’re not all women here at Greensulate. But having Amy Norquist – Greensulate founder and sought-after green roof spokesperson – as the company’s President means we’ve been able to attain Woman-Owned Business Enterprise certification as designated by the NYC Department of Small Business Services, Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity.

As a certified Woman-Owned Business, Greensulate will now have greater access to contracting opportunities through the City’s Online Directory of Certified Businesses – an excellent vehicle for promoting Greensulate to purchasers. The City will also promote Greensulate to City agencies and procurement staff as well as keep us abreast of upcoming City purchasing opportunities.

NYC Grant Supports Green Infrastructure with $3 Million Grant...
and Greensulate is Here to Help!

Building and installing a green roof—or other stormwater management infrastructure—will be more affordable for those who are able to tap into the $3 million NYC DEP Green Infrastructure grant. And with a total of $1.5 billion committed to stormwater management in NYC, this funding just scratches the surface of available money slated to pass through the City’s pipes.

Green roofs are one of the most effective ways (and most beautiful) for cities like NYC to take control of messy stormwater problems that pollute the rivers around the NYC area.

Here’s what you need to know about the NYC DEP Green Infrastructure Grant:

Who’s In? Private property owners, businesses, and 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for funding for projects that use green infrastructure to reduce or manage stormwater
Good, Green Hands: Greensulate will gladly write and help administrate grants like this in return for an agreement that we’re your green roof professional of choice for the job (whether it’s design, installation, maintenance or all of the above!). We were the first company to apply for – and get – the NYC green roof tax abatement: we know how red tape works.
Go with the Flow: Monitoring – and the reporting that goes with it – is not a necessity for the grant to be awarded. However, minimal monitoring (measure mass balance of water – flow in and flow out) – is highly recommended and very simple to do.
Kindly In-Kind: Re-roofing? If so, your new ‘conventional’ green roof would be considered an ‘in-kind’ contribution when you apply for green roof grant funds – in fact, your re-roof would most likely cover the entire cost of the green roof!
CSO – or It’s a No Go: Your building must be within a Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) area; in NYC, that’s pretty easy given our super soaked borders. But check out the DEP’s map here, just to be sure you’re eligible.

Ease your way into the grant application with this helpful presentation from the workshop the DEP sponsored – it includes emails of some terrific NYC DEP staffers who get back to you on any and all questions. And feel free to send Greensulate your questions at info@greensulate.com! Applications are due 4.29.11.

Green Roof Industry Up 28.5% in 2010; Greensulate Grows Too!

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), the North American Trade Association for the Green Roof industry, announced last week that our industry grew by 28.5% year over year.

By the same criteria as the GRHC survey, Greensulate saw 208% growth in 2010. Nearly half of that growth came from our Public &Private Institutions business, with the balance coming from Residential and Commercial jobs.

The organization conducts an industry survey to estimate the aggregate amount of installed square footage of green roofs nationally. Here are the highlights:

Chicago, long the U.S. leader in installed green roofs due to its many incentives and the vocal support of out-going Mayor Daly, installed an estimated 500,000 square feet in 2010.
“Government investment in green roofs for their stormwater, air quality, green space and city cooling benefits largely fuels the growth of our industry,” said Steven W. Peck, Founder and President of GRHC.
New York City—playing a bit of catch-up—was #3 (behind Washington D.C.) according to the estimates.
Greensulate is proud to have contributed significantly to the increasing awareness of green roof benefits in the Big Apple, and we did our fair share of designing and installing last year.

As we look out onto the burgeoning Spring in NYC, we see exciting projects and continued steep growth in the industry, and in our business, nationwide in 2011.

Data Worth Billions... Protected by a Green Roof

72% of this 232,000 square foot roof is covered by green roof

Green roofing in the U.S. has far from reached its tipping point (a term, by the way, coined by Greensulate client Malcom Gladwell!).

Putting a green roof on a conventional roof can sometimes confuse, seem counter-intuitive, and even scare-off some people. Leaks, weight, weeds, critters, snow... you name it – we’ve heard the doubts from cautious building owners (all of which are debunked by the millions of square feet of successful green roofs installed worldwide. Also, we’d be happy to explain why each of the aforementioned concerns are unfounded).

That’s why when we see buildings like Citi Data Center, located in Frankfurt Germany, we rejoice. This green roofed LEED platinum-certified data center is brick-and-mortar proof of how effective and safe a properly installed green roof actually is. Highlights include:

232,000 square ft. roof
72% of 232,000 square feet is covered by a green roof
Facility emits 11,750 fewer tons of carbon emissions
Consumes just 30 percent of the power required for a conventional data center.

Here’s what John Killey, head of Citi Reality Services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa has to say:

"Often the failure of a roof system is caused by mechanical damage or ultraviolet rays. Here, there's an actual physical barrier of earth and sedum, which protects from mechanical damage. It's a cost-justifiable solution over the full length of life."

He also added that the green roof also keeps the data center cooler during the heat of summer.

Convinced? Turn to Greensulate for a no-pressure, paradigm-shifting consultation. Reach us at info@greensulate.com!

A Beautiful Vision

High above the desert oasis of Palm Springs, a tramway ascends through Chino Canyon, giving visitors a 360 degree view of Coachella Valley: haven for the rich and famous, architectural destination, and now, home to one of the first green roofs designed for success in a desert climate.

Perched on a home designed in the "mid-century modern" style, Greensulate's most recent green roof consists of a mix of drought resistant native succulents, which sit nestled nearby the HVAC system, heating system and various exhaust pipes. Using the principle of biomimicry, the recently installed green roof replaces the built-environment footprint of the house, providing the same amount of stormwater retention, carbon sequestration, and habitat as pre-construction conditions, while also enhancing the efficiency of the house's heating and cooling systems. As this is one of the first application of green roofs in a desert climate, it will be very interesting to observe the reduction in climate control costs.

CEO Amy Norquist describes the application of green roofs in the desert as "provocative, progressive, and necessary," and goes on to say: "the desert ecosystem is a fragile one, and anything we can do to retain its natural hydrology and vegetation throughout development efforts is essential." Flash floods and plants and animals whose ability to survive depends on a few centimeters of rain were all factors we considered as we began the initial design phase of the roof.

We hope this oasis within an oasis proves to be a leading example for the rest of the city of Palm Springs, and cities in similarly arid climates around the country.

Greensulate &Staten Island: Green &Clean!

Greensulate is thrilled to be working closely with several up and coming areas of Staten Island in tandem with that borough’s Green &Clean council.

Staten Island’s Economic Development Corporation’s Green &Clean Council is focused on revitalizing Staten Island’s West Shore with the following mission:

“To promote potential and existing Green &sustainable commercial, research, educational, and manufacturing efforts on Staten Island, particularly focused on the further development of the Staten Island Green Zone through public/private interaction, outreach, networking, and marketing.”

Why Staten Island?
The West Shore of Staten Island is a great opportunity for the city to revolutionize commerce and industry while protecting Staten Island’s natural environment. The advantages Staten Island offers include ideal transportation around the metropolitan region, ample vacant land, waterfront to rail access, and plenty of vacant space for residential infrastructure.

Greensulate Featured on NY1!
At the inaugural Staten Island Green and Clean council expo, a host of green businesses presented how they fit in to SIEDC’s environmentally driven mission. Greensulate project manager Matthew Moghaddam was featured on NY1’s coverage of the hugely successful event.

Greensulate strongly believes that Staten Island is on the fast track to redefining 21st century business leadership with its focus on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

Contact Us!

Give us a call at 800.613.3180, anytime!