Related EU Projects

GRACC can be considered as a reasonably successful project having developed the first UK specific code of best practice for green roofs, together with supporting documents, and demonstrated effective engagement of a national body representing the roofing industry. The project’s work should support the use of green roofs which can be expected to reduce flash flood events. However, the project was unable to complete the development of a Supplementary Planning Document for local authorities or a pan-European green roof code for reasons largely out of its control.

The project successfully developed a UK-specific Code for Green Roofs. The Code sets out minimum standards for the specification of green roofs that will help to address climate change. It specifies that the depth of substrate material used should be at least 80mm. This is essential to ensure sufficient water retention to help reduce temperatures in urban environments, reduce the heating and cooling needs of buildings and provide increased biodiversity value.

The project worked successfully to engage the key stakeholders – particularly the roof contracting industry, but also local authorities and other government agencies - effectively in the elaboration of the Code. This should improve longer term acceptance and use of the Code and also helped raise awareness of the Code and green roofs more generally.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showFile&rep=file&fil=GRO_Green_Roof_Code.pdf

http://www.greenroofguide.co.uk/

This research project aimed to determine the heating and cooling potential of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) systems in the Mediterranean climatic zone. The project was carried out in greenhouses at the Cukurova University, Adana, during 2005-2006. For this purpose, two plastic greenhouses, each having an area of 360 m², were used. One of them was heated and cooled by an ATES system. In the second one, conventional heating and cooling systems were used. The inside and outside temperatures of the greenhouses, as well as ground water and exchanger water temperatures were recorded throughout the experimental period. Tomato crop was grown in both greenhouses and plant growth and fruit yield were measured. Energy costs of the greenhouses (fuel oil for the conventionally heated greenhouse and electricity for the ATES system) were also calculated. Consequently, these two systems were technically and economically compared.

The collected data showed that ATES systems have good potential for climatisation, both for heating and cooling, of greenhouses in the Mediterranean climatic zone. Between October 20^th and April 10^th, the inside temperature of the ATES system heated greenhouse was never below critical level (120 ℃) and thanks to this performance, the ATES greenhouse never used any fuel oil. On the other hand, temperature fluctuations in the ATES greenhouse were less than the conventionally heated one. The energy cost saving with ATES for heating was about 70% in comparison with the conventionally heated (with fuel-oil) greenhouse. With respect to tomato yield, the greenhouse that was heated by the ATES system resulted in approximately 20% more yield than that in the conventionally climatised one.

Turgut, B., Dasgan, H., Abak, K., Paksoy, H., Evliya, H. and Bozdag, S. (2009). AQUIFER THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE APPLICATION IN GREENHOUSE CLIMATIZATION. Acta Horticulturae, (807), pp.143-148.

In the year 2000, a system that uses solar energy in combination with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) was being designed. Its aim was to conserve a major part of the oil and electricity used for heating or cooling the Cukurova University, Balcali Hospital in Adana, Turkey. The general objective of the system was to provide heating and cooling to the hospital by storing solar heat underground in summer and cold in winter. As the main source of cold energy, ventilation air at the hospital and surface water from the nearby Seyhan Lake was to be used.

Paksoy, H., Andersson, O., Abaci, S., Evliya, H. and Turgut, B. (2000). Heating and cooling of a hospital using solar energy coupled with seasonal thermal energy storage in an aquifer. Renewable Energy, 19(1-2), pp.117-122.