Interesting house

[John -- '02 HAWK]

If you really want energy efficiency, get a vegetated roof with 1+ ft of soil. It will cut heating and cooling costs in half, and provides a safety barrier from hail that doesnt need repair

[Osiris]

If you really want energy efficiency, get a vegetated roof with 1+ ft of soil. It will cut heating and cooling costs in half, and provides a safety barrier from hail that doesnt need repair

Who will cut the grass then?

[Big A]

Who will cut the grass then?

...and who will water it.

[Big A]

Which takes energy/$$$. There is a reason that it isn't the "new thing."

[John -- '02 HAWK]

You dont use typical lawn grass (but you can), you use native plants and grasses that dont require the maintenance and watering of lawn grass. The height is limited by the depth of the soil, and the root growth. There is usually 6-8" of soil over the aggregate, irrigation, and containment.

The plants are watered using an under the soil weeper system, and/or misters. The amount of water used depends on the proper plant choice, and water reclamation system. So yes sometimes the vegetated roof does need an external water source, but its not as much as lawn would need .

The energy conserved far outweighs the amount of energy used in the maintenance of the plants.

The reason that vegetated roofs are not used is more societal and monetary. It requires more of an up front cost, and there has to be conscious effort for it to be done by architect and builders (IE it cant be retrofitted).