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"Green roof" at Con Edison's Learning Center training and conference facility in Long Island City, NY.
New York, NY, Aug. 29, 2008 -- Con Edison's first "green roof," described as an energy-saving plant system, is growing on the company's three-story Learning Center training and conference facility in Long Island City, NY. Con Edison expects the green roof to improve air quality and to conserve energy by reducing the amount of heat absorbed by conventional roofs.
More than 21,000 plants occupy over a quarter acre of the Learning Center's roof top. The plants absorb heat, keeping the building cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning. The roof is projected to save up to 30 percent of the Learning Center's peak-cooling costs.
The green roof demonstration, a collaborative effort with Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research, will evaluate the benefits of the green roof and measure energy savings, roof surface temperatures, and air quality improvements. Columbia University scientists will analyze the results.
The green roof will also absorb and retain rainwater from heavy rains, known as storm water runoff. Storm water runoff can overwhelm sewer systems and cause overflow into local waterways. The company anticipates the green roof will retain 30 percent to 70 percent of storm water runoff, releasing water slowly into the drainage system.
Though it is the first of its kind at a Con Edison facility, this is not the company's first experience with green roofs. In 2004, a company research and development team helped create a green roof at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City and helped raise funds for its installation. Con Edison also backed an educational project comparing green and cool roofs on the American Banknote Building in the Bronx for Sustainable South Bronx.
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