Green Roofs and Florida Building Code, Florida Green Roofs

The Florida Building Commission 2011 Report to the Florida Legislature recommends energy credits for vegetated roofs.

For the full report click here.

The focus appears to be primarily addressing stormwater and does not necessarily acknowledge habitat or biodiversity concerns.  Energy savings are important yet biological functions should also be considered.   Possibly granting landscape credits on local levels is one answer to the more global focus on insulation.

Importantly, under Florida Building Code, anything on a roof here must be permanently attached.  This is due to hurricane and cyclone impacts and wind uplift.

The two sub-committee working session reports for the FBC's Green and Energy Efficient Roofs are available in pdf format here also;

• February 2010 Session
• April 2010 Session

Florida is a unique state with respect to green roofs.  We have what I call the 5 H's;

• Hurricanes
• High Humidity
• Hard Freezes/Frosts
• High Desiccating Winds
• Heat Extremes

The interesting challenge for the green roof designer in Florida is that many of the above could possibly be issues green roof systems and green roof plants must deal with in any given day.