Green roofs for ecological benefit, water management and sustainable design KTP: SEL Environmental and Coventry University
Funder
Innovate UK
KTP Partnerships
Knowledge Transfer Partnership no. KTP010500
Value to Coventry University
£130,247
Project team
Dr Steve Coupe, Dr Liz Trenchard, Sophie Barron-West (KTP associate)
Partners
SEL Environmental
Duration of project
May 2017 - May 2019
Project overview
SEL Environmental wanted to research the plausibility and benefits of incorporating green space and wildlife-friendly habitats into heavily built-up urban areas.
To do this, they wanted to research the use of green roofs – where the top of a building is partially or completely covered with vegetation planted over a waterproofing membrane – and see how far they could take this technology utilising their own intelligent water management systems.
The benefits of green roofs individually include the improvement and reduction of energy consumption, while a concentration across a large area has been proven to reduce temperatures in the surrounding climate.
It is this larger concentration, creating a ‘network’ of green roofs, each bringing a different, unique climate contribution, that SEL want to focus on.
Project objectives
Sophie Barron-West was recruited by Coventry University to oversee a two-year KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) project for SEL in the role of Associate.
Through the KTP, SEL have also been able to access the research expertise of Dr Steve Coupe and Dr Liz Trenchard, based within the University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience.
The aim of the project is to realise the potential for green roofs to create new urban habitat, thereby enhancing local ecological diversity.
