annual green roof industry survey for 2012 may 2013

Introduction
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) is a memberbased non-profit industry association that is dedicated to the development of the green roof and wall industry throughout North America. Highlights of the Annual Green Roof Industry Survey are provided below. The Survey is just one of many programs and activities GRHC delivers in order to advance the industry: Administration of the Green Roof Professional (GRP) training and accreditation program which is designed to develop, disseminate, and promote best practices in green roof design, installation, and maintenance. Find one of more than 550 accredited GRPs at www.greenroofs.org. Organization of a major annual conference CitiesAlive San Francisco (October 23 26, 2013, www.citiesalive.org) and a regional conference Grey to Green (May 21-22, 2013, www.greytogreenconference.org). Providing ongoing professional development through the creation of new leading-edge training courses including Green Roofs, Walls, and Energy; and Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites IV in 2013. (See Appendix I for a full list of GRHCs professional training courses). Publishing the Living Architecture Monitor (LAM), a quarterly magazine in print and digital formats that covers emerging research, design, manufacturing and policy activity. (www.livingarchitecturemonitor.org) Publishing the Journal of Living Architecture (JOLA), a quarterly publication of outstanding, peer reviewed scientific research. (To be launched in the Winter of 2014) Providing a wide range of membership benefits for companies, non-profit organizations, and individuals, including company promotion, dissemination of leads, and advertising, training and event discounts. Advocacy through a variety of means, including the Green Roof Ambassadors Program, which trains and provides resources for green roof professionals to advocate for green roof policies in their local markets. The development of the Living Architecture Performance Tool, a project to quantify performance characteristics of different living architecture technologies that was launched in 2012 with the help of numerous industry leaders.

Supporting international market development through the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN). (www.worldgreenroof.org) Publication of The Rise of Living Architecture Commemorative Edition, a coffee table book which contains the ideas of more than 50 expert leaders. (available at www.greeninfrastructurestore.com)

Annual Survey Method

Each year since 2004, GRHC has conducted an independent, voluntary survey of its Corporate Members, collecting data on the growth and composition of the green roof industry across North America. GRHCs Corporate Members voluntarily and confidentially provide information on their projects: square footage, location, whether the building is public or private, and green roof type intensive, semi-intensive, or extensive.

The data is collected and duplicate entries are removed from the data set by comparing the type, size, and location of each project. The square footage of green roof installations is aggregated by major metropolitan regions, to give the top metropolitan regions data. Annual growth rates are derived by averaging the square footage recorded by a representative sample of Corporate Members from year to year, not square footage totals which vary depending on the number of submissions each year. This method provides a more accurate value for the growth rate than square footage totals. The full data set is made available to all of our Corporate Members as a membership benefit, with specific location and project attribution removed. This survey data does not capture all market activity because not all GRHCs Corporate Members participate. This year, 25 Corporate Members supplied data for the survey. We estimate that the data in this report understates market activity by anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent. However, it does provide insights into the composition of an industry that continues to grow rapidly, despite the difficult economic times. This report provides highlights of the survey findings.

Annual Survey Findings

The North American green roof industry grew by a remarkable 24% in 2012 over 2011, in keeping with the strong growth rates the industry has experienced over the past decade. Our members recorded 982 projects (totalling 5,588,098 square feet installed) in 2012, up from 870 (totalling 4,577,935 square feet installed) in 2011. As in past years, there were a similar amount of public and private green roof projects reported. There were 2,005,990 square feet of private projects and 1,696,011 square feet of public projects, with the remainder unspecified. To put this in perspective, the market penetration goal discussed at CitiesAlive 2012 in Chicago is one billion square feet of green roof completed over the next decade. The total square footage reported below is obtained by multiplying the average member growth rate by the total square footage reported for the previous year. This provides a more accurate estimate of the square footage installed than the number reported by members in the survey which is always significantly lower as discussed in the methodology section.

Square Footage Installed Per Year

Estimated Growth of the North American Green Roof Industry

25,000,000

20,000,000
15,000,000 10,000,000 5,000,000 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Year

Results by Metropolitan Region

The chart below shows which North American metropolitan regions installed the most square feet of green roofs in 2012. For the second straight year, a green roof boom in Washington, DC has given it the top spot. Rounding out the top 5 are Chicago, New York City, Toronto, and Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, the jurisdictions with the most green roof installations are also those who have embraced policies to support implementation.

Top 20 North American Metro Regions - Green Roofs Installed in 2012 by GRHC Corporate Members in Square Feet
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0

The next chart shows the top metropolitan regions in the US for green roofs installed. We can see new growth in markets such as Cincinnati, Nashville, Hampton Roads region in Virginia, and in three large metro regions along the West Coast.

Top 15 US Metro Regions - Green Roofs Installed in 2012 by GHRC Corporate Members in Square Feet
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0

The chart below illustrates which Canadian metropolitan regions installed the most square feet of green roofs in 2012. The City of Toronto, bolstered by its Green Roof Bylaw, has again come in first place.

Top 5 Canadian Metro Regions - Green Roofs in 2012 by GRHC Corporate Members in Square Feet
350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0

As in past years, the number of extensive green roofs (six inches of growing medium or less) installed outnumbered the amount of intensive green roofs (over six inches of growing medium) or semi-intensive (areas of both types). See below.

Type of Green Roofs Installed in 2012 by GRHC Corporate Members in Square Feet
5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0

Policy Developments and Industry Growth

In recognition of the many public benefits that green roofs provide, public policy has helped to fuel the growth of the industry and recognize the many public benefits that green roofs provide communities. Appendix II shows a large selection of public policy that has been implemented across North America in support of green roofs. The public benefits of green roofs may include: Stormwater management quality and quantity; Increased biodiversity; Moderation of the urban heat island effect; Improvement of air quality; Improvement of aesthetics in the public realm; Local and regional job creation; The addition of new amenity spaces; Urban food production and enhanced food security.

In addition to policy support, the growth of the green roof industry can also be attributed to some extent to the Green Roof Professional (GRP) accreditation program. There are now more than 550 dedicated GRPs across North America. Through training and a third partymanaged accreditation exam, the GRP program:

Enables professionals to differentiate themselves in the marketplace; Establishes a high-level of professionalism and improved multi-disciplinary collaboration; Increases customer confidence in green roof technology; Results in better green roof design and installation practices; Protects the industry from the inevitable failures that result from inappropriate design, installation, and maintenance practices.

The GRP Online Directory is accessible to the public at www.greenroofs.org.

Conclusion
As it has every year since GRHC began conducting the Annual Green Roof Industry Survey, the green roof market in North America grew significantly in 2012, despite difficult economic times. Many cities across North America have recognized the public benefits of green roofs and have taken various policy measures to encourage their widespread installation. However, there is still enormous potential for growth of new green roofs on tens of billions of square feet of buildings across North America. GRHC encourages municipalities, regions, states, and provinces to adopt policies in support of green roofs and green walls in order to build healthier, more sustainable and resilient communities. GRHC would also like to thank its many Corporate Members for their ongoing commitment to supplying data for this annual survey and recognize the contribution of the more than 550 GRPS in the marketplace, who are contributing to the growth of the industry. The combination of government support, member outreach, and an increasing number of motivated green roof professionals is a very positive sign for the future of the green roof industry.

Appendix I: GRHCs Professional Training Courses

Full-Day Courses Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course Green Roof Design & Installation 201 Green Roof Waterproofing & Drainage 301 Green Roof Plants & Growing Media 401 Half-Day Courses Advanced Green Roof Maintenance Ecological Design for Green Roofs Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance, and Projects Green Roofs, Walls and Energy (to be launched at CitiesAlive 2013) Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design, 2nd Edition Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture, 2nd Edition Integrated Water Management for Buildings & Sites I, II, III, and IV Energy, Green Roofs and Walls (Energy, Green Roofs and Walls and Integrated Water Management IV to be launched at CitiesAlive San Francisco 2013)

Appendix II: Selected Cities and Their Dedicated Green Roof Policies

Portland Ecoroof Incentive established 2005 Minneapolis Stormwater Utility Fee Credit established 2005 Chicago Green Permit Program established 2006 Washington DC Green Roof Rebate Program established 2007 Philadelphia Green Roof Tax Credits established 2007 Anne Arundel County (MD) Stormwater Management Tax Credit established 2008 State of New York Green Building Construction Act established 2009 Toronto Green Roof Bylaw and Eco-Roof Incentive Program established 2009 Onondaga County (Syracuse, NY) Green Improvement Fund established 2010 Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Regional Green Roof Initiative established 2010 Austin (TX) Green Roof Density Bonus established 2011 Nashville (TN) Green Roof Rebate established 2012 Richmond (VA) Fast-Track Permitting established 2012

Appendix III: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Publications

Advanced Green Roof Maintenance Training Manual (2011). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This manual contains indispensable information on green roof care and upkeep. Award Winning Green Roof Designs (2008). Atglen: Schiffer Books. This book features over 100 beautiful, informative photos that display the green roofs technology in award-winning designs. The projects are almost exclusively the product of multi-disciplinary, collaborative design processes. Details about the plants used, growing media, drainage and irrigation systems, and waterproofing, along with descriptions of challenges overcome, and innovations developed, are provided. Ecological Green Roof Design Training Manual (2006). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Ecological Design for Green Roofs is a specialized course that teaches participants how to achieve maximum biodiversity benefits from their projects and design green roofs to support native flora and fauna. Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance, and Projects Training Manual. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This course provides attendees with a review of various vegetative technologies in urban areas (i.e. green walls, green roofs, urban forests, rain gardens), presents the latest research on their many performance benefits, and showcases a variety of leading edge policy and program developments in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, New York and Toronto that support the greening of our cities. Ideal for policy makers and other advocates of urban greenery. Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course (2nd ed.) Training Manual (2011). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This introductory training course on green roof infrastructure design presents many of the tools and techniques needed to meet your green roof project objectives on schedule, to specification, and within budget. Green Roof Infrastructure: Design & Installation 201 (2006). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This is GRHCs second course in the Accredited Green Roof Professional Program. Registrants should have already taken the Green Roof Design 101 Introductory Course or have a solid understanding of green roof design and available technology. Green Roof Waterproofing and Drainage 301 (2007). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This course will provide participants with an overview of waterproofing and drainage construction and maintenance for green roof assemblies. It lays out technical vocabulary and materials and presents detailed design solutions and implementation best management practices for waterproofing and drainage in green roofs. Green Roof Plants and Growing Media 401 (2008). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This course will provide participants with an overview of plants and growing media design

considerations and maintenance for green roof assemblies. It establishes design and implementation best management practices for plants and growing media in green roofs. Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design Training Manual (2010). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This updated version of our Green Walls 101: Introduction to Systems and Design course discusses design and construction best practices for green facades and living walls, as well as the latest research findings on the environmental benefits of these technologies. Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites Training Manual (2010). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Developed jointly by GRHC and American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) committee members, this course provides technical and economic information on the design and performance of a fully integrated site and building water management system based on the Net Zero Water concept. Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture Training Manual (2010). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. This course the first of its kind in North America at the time of its launch in December 2010 discusses multiple approaches to growing food on rooftops through design and maintenance principles, and case studies drawn from across North America. Living Architecture Monitor (1999-present). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. The Living Architecture Monitor is GRHC`s quarterly magazine. It features in-depth interviews with leaders in the green building movement, opinions, research, as well as detailed case studies and new developments in the green roof and wall industry. The Rise of Living Architecture (2012). Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. The ROLA is a limited-edition tabletop book that profiles more than 50 of the hundreds of leaders that have created the base and molded the foundation of living architecture.

Acknowledgements
This report was prepared by Paul Erlichman, membership coordinator and Steven W. Peck, GRP, Honorary ASLA, founder and president, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.