Both houses of the legislature approved separate bills related to tax benefits for installing solar panels and green roofs in New York City. The state’s “net metering” program, allowing those with wind-powered generating systems to provide energy back into the grid and get a credit against their own usage, will be expanded to include commercial customers. Stiffer “block the box” penalties have been enacted to help ease New York City gridlock. Additionally, construction of the Gansevoort waste-transfer station, in the works for more than three years, will finally move forward under an agreement between the city and the legislature. Green Canopy in the Urban Jungle
Of the two tax-abatement provisions, it seems likely that the one rewarding installation of a green roof may get more takers at the moment. “Relatively speaking, if you have an appropriate roof, it’s easy to put on a green roof,” attorney Caroline Harris tells Real Estate New York. “And there are multiple benefits to doing so,” as compared to the solar panel, which only generates one benefit, albeit a substantial one: producing energy.
For optimal results, Harris says, green roofs should be installed “on all of the buildings in the neighborhood, to reduce the temperature on a neighborhood-wide basis. That would be fantastic for the environment.” Naturally, this would require somebody taking the lead after installing a green roof: organizing his or her fellow property owners to follow the example. “Community boards would be a good place for people to publicize green roofs and maybe get activities going on a community-wide basis.”
The Daily News has more.
7 comments:
Great, landlords cannot maintain roofs without leaking, now you want to load soil and trees over us and make them farmers.
Well, if you take away front yards, you need to balance that by putting vegatation on the roof, right?
For the rest of us living in the real world, IT WOULD BE A HELL OF A LOT SIMPLER JUST TO RESTRICT DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!!!!
'Well, if you take away front yards, you need to balance that by putting vegatation on the roof, right?'
They will do anything to let development continue unfettered, even stupid head up the ass ideas like this.
The city should set an example by covering the rooftops of schools, police stations, and fire houses.
I'm not certain this kind of roof can be installed on the typical 7-story, 'H-type' apartment buildings prevalent in Queens without significant modification, because the wooden beams simply were not designed to support the additional 10-50 lbs./sq.ft. weight of a saturated Green Roof. There are also safety implications of installing these products on roofs that could previously be cut open during certain fire operations.
Our board is considering installing one on our 40-year old building, if only to alleviate the back-flow flooding caused by our current roof drainage and exacerbated by development overwhemling local sewage facilities. The freaky weather of late certainly doesn't help either.
Most new construction, including all apartment towers, however, have concrete roofs and will be able to support these Green Roofs. Figures, right?
Much better than "tar beach"!!
I think it is a great idea for new development. I agree with the previous poster, I do not think the older buildings will be able to support the weight.
I think it is a great idea for new development. I agree with the previous poster, I do not think the older buildings will be able to support the weight.
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