According to a UCF 2005 article, see below, “UCF is the first university in the state to install a green roof. The state Department of Environmental Protection provided UCF with a grant of about $340,000 to create, maintain and study the effects of the green roof, which occupies half of the roof of the Student Union expansion. The other half is a standard roof that will be used as a comparison for temperatures, water runoff levels and the condition of the green roof. Professor Marty Wanielista and the architectural firm SchenkelSchultz collaborated in pursuing the state grant for the green roof.”The UCF Student Union is the Department of Environmental Protection?s second green roof research project. The first was installed a year ago at Bonita Bay golf course.” UCF is planning to build green roofs on other new or existing buildings on campus.

The various native and non-native plants were planted in April and May, 2005 and the greenroof is irrigated. In addition to increasing aesthetic appeal as well as adding to stormwater management, including mitigating water pollution, the 1,600 sf greenroof is expected to cut the expansion?s energy costs by about 50 percent and extend the life of the roof from 20 to 50 years. Referring to greenroofs in general, Professor Marty Wanielista of the University of Central Florida said in a June 10, 2006 article in the HeraldToday.com by Richard Dymond, “They reduce the temperature of the roof from 165 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 to 90 degrees, and can increase the life span of a roof.” UCF Arboretum Director Martin Quigley said that 75 percent Florida native plants that have adapted to extreme dry and wet conditions were incorporated into the scheme, including dune sunflowers, coral honeysuckles and blanket flowers.UCF also has an experimental project design area on the ground of 18 – 4′ x 4′ watertight and insulated modules where they are comparing two growth media, two irrigation schedules (volumes) and have controls with a conventional roof and no-vegetation with a duplicate of each. Visit the UCF Stormwater Management Academy website, see below, for complete greenroof temperature, runoff, water quality, plant studies and more monitoring data as well as to see the Live Web Cam of the greenroof. You can also download various PowerPoint presentations here.