Green vs. standard roofs: a case study from Athens, Greece

The aim of this research is the comparison of 3 alternative types of roofs for a residential building located in a suburb of Athens, Greece, utilizing the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The 3 types of roofs examined are termed as: i) standard, ii) green and iii) enhanced green, i.e. a green roof with enhanced environmental characteristics. The results indicate that the overall environmental performance of the green roof is superior to the standard roof. Moreover, the enhanced green roof demonstrated the best performance among the three options examined. The main impact categories are: the fossil fuels, the respiratory inorganics and the acidificationeutrophication. Despite the requirements for extra materials for the implementation of the green roof, the overall environmental balance is positive due to the benefits resulting from the energy savings.