Vernon Hills, Ill. — Scientists have been aware of the “urban heat island (UHI) effect” for decades. This is when metropolitan areas become significantly warmer than surrounding, less populated areas. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that because of UHI, on a warm day, a city may be two to ten degrees warmer (F) than a surrounding countryside.

Looking for ways to combat UHI, the Chicago Department of General Services decided to install green roofs on four of its fire stations around the city. The city was looking for a green roof system that was quick and easy to install, cost effective, lightweight, and—at least in two locations—could be installed in the dead of winter.

The Green roof system they selected that best met these requirements was the modular system developed by GreenGrid Green roofs.

With the GreenGrid system, plant and soil media are pre-planted in modules made of 60 percent recycled plastic at nurseries, not on the rooftop setting. This makes installing the Green roof during the coldest months of the year relatively simple and feasible, the company reports.

Weight was also a concern for the Green roof installation especially at Engine Company #98. More than a hundred years old, this famous station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located on Chicago Avenue, just off the city’s famed “Miracle Mile.”

For more information, visit www.greengridroofs.com.