RoofBloom

"Instead of waiting for green roofs to come to the Twin Cities [St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota] as a product for mass consumption, RoofBloom was created to empower individuals with the knowledge and materials needed to install green roofs themselves. A collaboration between the Minnesota Green Roof Council and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, RoofBloom is taking action at a grass roots level, while focusing on improving the sustainability and effectiveness of green roof construction." — RoofBloom builds a green roof in 7 minutes

Why small green roofs? Garages and other small outbuildings may not seem like the place to start promoting green roof technologies. These are the smallest roofs in the watershed, and make up only a small fraction of total rooftop area. Garages are generally not heated or air conditioned, and cannot take advantage of the reduced energy demands that are provided by green roofs. But garages are a great place to start:

• Even though green roofs have a proven record spanning several decades in other countries, they're still an unfamiliar idea to most Americans. Few people risk using unfamiliar technology on their homes; more homeowners are willing to experiment with green roofs on their garages.
• Garages and other outbuildings do represent a significant land use in urban areas. As an example, fifty thousand two-car garages, each with a 480-square foot roof, represent 24 million square feet of impermeable surface. That's 550 acres of green space.
• Garages in Minnesota generally have roofs sloped between 20 and 30%. This is shallow enough to support many different green roof systems. Many single family homes in our region feature roofs sloped at 50% or more, which is too steep for most green roof systems. Also, garage roofs are usually simpler and easier to roof, with fewer complicated valleys and penetrations.
• Garage roofs are visible. People will be able to see a green roof on a garage. This is in contrast to many commercial green roofs, which are often inaccessible and invisible to the public on top of a building. A garage with a green roof sends a clear message that green roof technology can be used economically on a wide range of building types.
• Once green roofs are established as a viable means of reducing roofing costs and energy use, all while protecting our watersheds, homeowners will find ways to use green roofs on their homes. For now, though, garages and other small outbuildings present an ideal place to demonstrate the possibilities of green roofs.