Environmental performance of green roofs for buildings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46421/entac.v20i1.5853Keywords:
Green building, Life cycle assessment (LCA), Environmental impactsAbstract
Green buildings are alternatives aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of the built environment, among which green roofs are highlighted in this study. It is essential to determine the environmental impacts that the construction of a green roof can cause to understand its potential benefits to the environment. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts of the production and use of 1 m² of green roof compared to a conventional roof. Following ISO 14040/14044 standards, the study objectives and scope were defined, an inventory of inputs/outputs was conducted, environmental impacts were characterized, and the results were analyzed. Using the software openLCA 2.0®, environmental impacts were calculated in the categories of 100-year global warming potential, human toxicity, and abiotic depletion of fossil fuels. Despite the greater resource requirement in construction, the green roof proved to be environmentally advantageous, with the potential to reduce impacts in civil construction. The observed results confirmed the environmental feasibility of green roofs and provided information to support the continuous improvement of this construction technology.
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