While the green roof movement is slow to gain momentum in the United States, the interest in solar panels has picked up over the years. More homeowners and urban building owners are looking to maximize energy efficiency and cut back on energy consumption. As more get on board with such vital changes, many building have made headlines in their efforts to go green.
Nashville Convention Center
As one of the first notable buildings installing a truly green roof, the Nashville Music City Center has big plans. The building will be undergoing major renovations in the month of February and March of this year to install a waterproof layer, soil and plant life along the rooftop of the building. This green roof is expected to help with water damage and reduce the amount of runoff that overloads the city's sewer system. As with all green roofs, the Nashville Music City Center building will also do wonders for the local ozone and air quality, reducing carbon emissions and boosting oxygen levels.
Colorado Hospital
The Boulder Community Hospital is undergoing a yearlong renovation to install an appealing new roof on the cardiology building. Expected to be completed by December 2012, the green rooftop will boast rocks and plant life that residents in other parts of the hospital will enjoy. The view from the maternity ward is scheduled to improve, whereby visitors will be greeted with greenery and natural stone. The 46,000 square foot green roof will save an estimated $750,000 in heating and cooling costs annually. The hospital also installed solar panels over a portion of the building in 2007, saving an average of $700,000 in electrical costs each year.
IKEA Stores
IKEA boasts hundreds of massive stores around the world, including the United States. Late last year, the company announced plans to install nearly 4500 solar panels on the roof of their store in West Chester Ohio. With an estimated 1.3 million kilowatt hours of solar power per year, this 344,000 square foot store could make a huge impact on the local power grid. The store also plans to add panels to at least five other stores around the U.S., including 3 in Maryland and 2 in Pennsylvania. Each solar array has the potential to eliminate 4800 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of removing over 850 cars from the road. However, these aren't IKEA's first solar arrays. The company has already installed solar panels in 18 other U.S. locations, including being the owner of the largest solar array in Brooklyn.
Nashville Convention Center
As one of the first notable buildings installing a truly green roof, the Nashville Music City Center has big plans. The building will be undergoing major renovations in the month of February and March of this year to install a waterproof layer, soil and plant life along the rooftop of the building. This green roof is expected to help with water damage and reduce the amount of runoff that overloads the city's sewer system. As with all green roofs, the Nashville Music City Center building will also do wonders for the local ozone and air quality, reducing carbon emissions and boosting oxygen levels.
Colorado Hospital
The Boulder Community Hospital is undergoing a yearlong renovation to install an appealing new roof on the cardiology building. Expected to be completed by December 2012, the green rooftop will boast rocks and plant life that residents in other parts of the hospital will enjoy. The view from the maternity ward is scheduled to improve, whereby visitors will be greeted with greenery and natural stone. The 46,000 square foot green roof will save an estimated $750,000 in heating and cooling costs annually. The hospital also installed solar panels over a portion of the building in 2007, saving an average of $700,000 in electrical costs each year.
IKEA Stores
IKEA boasts hundreds of massive stores around the world, including the United States. Late last year, the company announced plans to install nearly 4500 solar panels on the roof of their store in West Chester Ohio. With an estimated 1.3 million kilowatt hours of solar power per year, this 344,000 square foot store could make a huge impact on the local power grid. The store also plans to add panels to at least five other stores around the U.S., including 3 in Maryland and 2 in Pennsylvania. Each solar array has the potential to eliminate 4800 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of removing over 850 cars from the road. However, these aren't IKEA's first solar arrays. The company has already installed solar panels in 18 other U.S. locations, including being the owner of the largest solar array in Brooklyn.