Now that Toronto is sliding precipitously towards hotter days year round, we all might want to consider ways to reduce our energy consumption. It turns out that one great way of doing that is with green roof technology. Simply put, a green roof is a living membrane that absorbs light and heat from the sun and converts that energy into living plants. This living layer of insulation helps keep buildings cool resulting in lower air-conditioning costs.

Paradoxically to a North-American reader, auto manufacturer Toyota (you know, the one that makes the hybrid Prius and is about to become the world's biggest car manufacturer because it builds cars people want) is leading the market in green roof technology. Can you imagine Hummer-maker GM doing this?



Inhabit.com has more on Toyota's remarkable technology:

But the folks from Toyota Roof Gardens (a subsidiary of the Prius-creating car company) have solved your green roof installation qualms with a tile-based system that’s as easy as laying down carpet. The TM9 self-watering turf tiles measure twenty inches square, and connect directly to irrigation systems, making them entirely self-watering. And at a slim 2 inches thick, the tiles lightweight and do not require any additional structural upgrading to your existing roof.

At only $43 per tile, the TM9 system provides a modular, easy-to-install, cost-effective option for green-minded homeowners. In terms of maintenance, the tiles need only be cut once a year, thanks to a special breed of Korean velvet grass. And of course, like all green roofs, you’ll rest easy knowing that your easy installation is providing a natural cooling effect, thermal insulation, and a little extra flora in your home environment.

1. They have been doing this in Brantford, Ontario for a couple of years. ELT has a modular pregrown green roof system with interlocking one metre square panels, and locally appropriate plant materials. It needs no watering at all, due to careful selection of mosses and a moisture retaining layer made from hemp. They do a very cool wall system as well.

   Posted by Lloyd Alter  on  01/11  at  10:25 AM

2. Hi Lloyd, we did a story on that system last year. What I found most interesting about this system is that it is developed by a Toyota company. We don’t easily equate auto manufacturers with green roofs.

   Posted by Robert Ouellette  on  01/11  at  10:31 AM

3. That was a cheap shot at GM. After all, Toyota makes the monstrous Tundra which is the centrepiece of their strategy to take over North American truck markets.

   GM is doing its part. I recall reading an article in the NYT late last year which noted that companies like GM and Staples are installing solar panels on the rooves of their facilities. They use the electricty they generate and sell any surplus back to the grid.

   Posted by Steve  on  01/15  at  10:30 AM

<< Back to main