232 -- Green Roof Pilot at SUNY Geneseo

We examine the efficacy of green roof structures as a means of addressing sustainability initiatives at SUNY Geneseo. Green roofs are affordable and easily maintainable structures that reduce carbon output and serve to insulate structures, resulting in decreased expenses. We propose building a green roof structure on campus to test the effectiveness of green roofs in the Finger Lakes region. Some factors we intend to test on the green roof include average rainfall/snowfall, water runoff, wind speed, temperature, and structural degradation. By doing this, we intend to prove that green roofs could serve as a feasible approach to the campus’ pledge to become carbon free by 2040 while also considering cost efficiency, maintenance, and climate-specific needs. Factors that could inhibit our work include the limited timescale of the data-measuring period, resulting in limited sample size.