The green roof industry in the United States grew by 28.5 percent in 2010, according to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ (GRHC) annual industry survey of the organization’s corporate members. This is an increase from 16 percent growth reported by the survey for 2009.
Among US metropolitan regions, Chicago saw the most square feet installed, with 500,000 square feet, followed by Washington, DC. The other metropolises rounding out the top 10 regions are, in order: New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Va., Milwaukee, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Seattle/Tacoma.
‘Government investment in green roofs for their stormwater, air quality, green space, and city cooling benefits largely fuels the growth of our industry,” says Steve W. Peck, founder and president of GRFC. “Cities such as Chicago, Washington, New York, Portland, Seattle, and Philadelphia continue to lead the way with incentives and regulations that recognize the many benefits from green roofs, including much-needed green jobs in their communities. We are also seeing tremendous leadership within the federal government and its agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and General Services Administration.”
GRFC conducts its annual industry survey to identify the square footage of green roofs installed each year in each region of the country. The survey is conducted by an independent third-party consultant. However, the size of the market may be larger than reported as it is not completed by all companies that are designing and building green roofs.
