Distributed hydrologic models for municipal green roof systems
Abstract
Green roof systems have been used in Europe for more than 25 years to promote energy conservation, control runoff volume, improve air and water quality, and also exert aesthetic benefits. For the purposes of developing a research tool and providing reference data for decision makers, a simulation model of a green roof was developed in order to assess the potential reductions of stormwater runoff from different buildings. As a green roof is a special type of catchment in terms of soil type, depth and vegetation, the model was based on the simulation of major hydrological processes including rainfall-runoff, evapotranspiration, infiltration and so on. Beyond this specific research, it is expected this model could also be used for further study of the thermodynamic behaviors of the green roof system. In addition, the evapotranspiration component of the model could be also used to estimate the impact of evaporative cooling on the summer energy consumption for cooling, which is missing from all available energy models.