Ecoroof industry ready to sprout

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Ecoroofs serve a multitude of purposes; better air quality, improved building energy efficiency, and efficient storm water management — a large issue in rainy Portland, where excess storm water runoff carries pollutants into the surrounding watershed. Portland has roughly 10 acres of ecoroof coverage, second only to Chicago for U.S. cities. This is largely due to the incentives available for Portland projects — the city offers up to five dollars per square foot for qualifying ecoroof projects.

And the incentives just got better.

The Portland City Council recently approved a series of amendments to zoning code, streamlining the process for sustainably-oriented projects, including ecoroofs.

Greg Haines, co-founder of Ecoroofs Everywhere LLC, a Portland-based ecoroof contractor, stated that Chicago has more coverage because their incentive program is older. "It was probably about a year that we were looking to Chicago, they had a jump start," said Haines. Haines added that the Portland incentive program has been essential for his business, effectively shortening return on investment for the project developer. He expects continued industry growth as awareness of ecoroofs increases. Ecoroofs Everywhere is currently siting a project on the Tom Ross building, located in Southeast Portland.

Tom Liptan, the Ecoroof Technical Program Manager with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), says Chicago has done so well because of their zoning approach. According to Liptan, new commercial construction projects in Chicago have included an ecoroof as a condition for approval, in essence mandating their inclusion. This has allowed ecoroof acreage to grow rapidly, with projects installed on big-box stores and industrial facilities with large footprints. Ecoroof installation costs range between $5 to $20 per square foot.

In 2008, Mayor Sam Adams indicated a city goal of 43 acres of ecoroof coverage by 2013. In comparison, Stuttgart, Germany — a city roughly the size of Portland — has around 250 acres of green roofs. However, one of the main concerns is motive: Why should a business install an ecoroof?

To answer this, Liptan cites a current commercial construction project that includes an ecoroof. When addressing storm water management, it was determined that the ecoroof option would actually cost less than traditional alternatives, thanks to the BES incentive. Also, it allowed the building to utilize lot space usually reserved for storm water management equipment.

This Friday and Saturday, the budding national ecoroof community will convene in Portland for Ecoroof Portland 2010. The two-day fair, put on by the City of Portland, will showcase ecoroof vendors, demonstrations, informational workshops, and expert presentations. The event is aiming to raise awareness of ecoroof benefits, and in turn boost Portland's ecoroof acreage.