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Have you ever cycled out the town at night? As you left the buildings in the area behind did you notice just how the temperature lowered? Particularly noticeable in the evening, when there is very little breeze, you instantly become aware of how our built landscape generates and stores heat which is then released.

This is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect.

When the concrete and bricks of buildings and the asphalt of roadways have replaced the permeable vegetation layers of the natural landscape then it produces an urban heat island.

The natural talent of an urban area to accumulate and gather heat like this was initially identified by a British meteorologist, Luke Howard, during the early 1800′s. Since the 1800, buildings have become larger and towns and cities have spread out claiming more green land. We have introduced a great deal more technology, from cars to air-conditioning, which pushes additional heat into the places where people are living.

The temperature of our own urban and rural zones can be gauged much more exactly today due to modern satellite technology. The results show that we’ve created ‘islands’ inside our natural landscape, which you’ll find warmer in comparison with adjoining natural landscape. The demand for increased cooling because of the increase in temperature causes greater energy consumption and even more air pollution. Higher pollution and higher temperature ranges help make towns and cities less comfy areas to reside in and might also have a bearing on the health and wellness of people that live and work there.

Stormwater is warmed up while it runs off the non-porous surfaces of buildings and pavements and when it is released into streams, may harm delicate ecosystems. Often the rainfall alone may cause concerns so that architects and urban planners have to develop sophisticated systems to channel it from population centres. These are generally seriously affected when rainwater blends together with sewage and results in greater health risks and difficulties for ecosystems.

The numbers of people living in a city are generally growing each year with somewhere around fifty percent the world’s population already living in a city. Urban organizers try to find ways of creating the available living space much healthier and more energy-efficient.

Roofs makes up a large proportion of virtually any city’s surface area. They represent a major aspect within the heat island problem but maybe since they’re mainly out of eyesight, they are usually overlooked. The speed at which a physical object can reflect radiation from the sunrays is named its ‘albedo’. Areas throughout a town that have a greater albedo are usually improved as they reflect radiation away from the surface and thus help to keep structures cooler.

Standard asphalt built-up roofs have a small albedo, reflecting no more than 26% of the sun’s radiation. The particular figure could be as low as 6%. The rest of the solar radiation is soaked up and produces heat that remains nearby if there’s not any wind.

A green roof however reflects more of the sun’s radiation out of the property as it has a increased albedo. It keeps the structure underneath it cooler as it can provide cover from the sun as well as heat insulation. Rather than just purely warming the rainwater and transporting it away, the vegetative layer keeps rainwater. The evaporation of water from the substrate and transpiration of dampness from the greenery acts to cool the roof and prevent it from changing into another supply of urban heat.

It really is obvious that upgrading conventional roofs with flat roofing choices that happen to be cooler can play a huge role in offsetting the adverse result of the urban heat island.

For extra info about green roofs or for advice on other roofing solutions, please visit www.icb.uk.com

UK stadium applications could be influenced by the Weser-Stadion in Bremen, the biggest building-integrated photovoltaic installation in Germany which has enabled the generation of enough power to meet the annual demands of 300 households.

There are other ‘green’ sports facilities in Freiburg, Augsburg and Stuttgart but the Weser-Stadion, home to Werder Bremen is the latest German football to improve its environmental performance.

Covering roughly 60% of the total roof area, some 1,735 EVALON(R) Solar panels were installed around the outer ring of the new stadium roof. This creates a full capacity output of 511 kWp and contributes to the total stadium output of more than one million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

The Weser-Stadion project could determine a course for coming large scale stadium installations in the UK believe ICB (Solar) Ltd, a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) approved Solar PV installer, designer, supplier and installer of solar PV systems, based in Bournemouth

Managing Director Rob Jackson commented “In Bremen, the successful combination of high performance waterproofing membranes and solar photovoltaics is the perfect collaboration of contemporary construction and energy-efficiency. The versatility and performance of the power-generating waterproofing membrane makes it ideal for modern sports facilities.”

As part of a redevelopment programme at the Weser-Stadion to improve spectator experience by moving seating closer to the football pitch, the new-look stadium would also include a brand new roof. Annual CO2 emissions have been decreased by 450 tonnes by integrating a 1.2MWp photovoltaic system into the shape and design of the building and roof.

The world’s first power-generating waterproofing membrane, alwitra(R) EVALON(R) Solar – was installed onto the roof of Germany’s Weser-Stadion to make a winning stadium for football and the environment.

Each membrane was mechanically tied to the sheet metal roof using stainless steel screws, before being connected in the seam area using a hot-air welding process. The fastener spacing on each individual roof area was determined according to the outcomes of a wind load survey, with the resulting data forming the basis of the fastening plan.

The stadium’s northern and southern stands were dismantled and reconstructed, beginning in 2008, and the project was accomplished with installation of EVALON(R) Solar membranes onto the eastern curved stand in 2011.

There is a promising future for photvoltaic systems, the new European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) report. “The future of the PV market remains bright in the EU and the rest of the world,” the report said. “Uncertain times are causing governments everywhere to rethink the future of their energy mix, creating new opportunities for a competitive, safe and reliable electricity source such as PV.”

By 2015, between 131 and 196 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic systems could be installed around the world.

For extra information on different Photovoltaic systems, Solar PV or feed in tariff rates please visit http://www.icbsolar.uk.com

If you turn your roof into a eco-friendly space then it is a roof top garden. The roof top may be a house, an office building, a garage, shed or any other building that has a reasonable surface and is strong enough to take the further weight.

A structural engineer will be capable to instruct you whether your roof is properly waterproofed and whether it will deal with the extra weight of planters, soil, decking, furnishings and people.

Deliberate the purpose of the space. Possibly you just want to grow some herbs in a container; if you are planning a community garden that is another. Or, are you designing an outside place for relaxation and entertaining that incorporates flowers, shrubs and trees into the creation? I have even seen an orchard on a roof!

How much time do you want to devote to gardening? If you cannot commit much time then start with a modest design.

The strong winds and blistering sun will be your greatest problem. You need a rooftop water supply, outdoor electrical outlet and storage space for tool and supplies. Roof gardening requires plenty of water, so check how and where the roof drains.

Containers can be made from plastic, terracotta or wood. Choose resilient plants that will abide a range of conditions. It will commonly be sunny, hot, dry and windy during the growing season.

If you’re going to grow permanent plants such as shrubs or small trees or perennials in containers, choose plants that are one or two zones hardier than your climatic zone. For example, if you’re in Zone 5, choose woody plants that are hardy to Zone 3 or 4.

Provide some lath-type structures for shade. You can use vine-covered trellising as a wind-break or privacy screen. If you are adding a trellis or screen, make sure it’s properly supported.

Drought resistant plants are good choices, as they tend to be both sun and wind tolerant. If a plant has silver or grey-green leaves then it will reflect the harsh rays of the sun. Some have a coating of fine hairs on their leaves or stems, helping to trap moisture around the plant tissues.

A green roof top garden is an ideal place to grow native perennials. This will help the native plant population and they will be able to deal with the climate. This will also encourage native butterflies and birds to drop by for a visit.

To view a number of marvellous picture examples of green roofs or for extra help and advice about roofing solutions, visit the ICB website.

Heating water has never been effortless, however using the sun’s energy is one of the oldest ways to generate hot water. Solar panels are a widely used green option for heating in sunny climates, however due to recent advances in technology, solar panels are proven viable and a cost effective solution even for nothern European markets. Eco-friendly solar thermal collectors are one of the cleanest ways to heat domestic water, which can then be used for baths, showers and kitchens.

Solar thermal systems have been in operations around the world for decades, and other countries have made solar thermal system mandatory for new buildings (recently Spain joined the list).

Europe exports the most solar thermal systems, due to the vast amount of manufacturers. In broad terms the European manufacturers develop good quality solar panels. Just like any other building product, consumers ought to make sure that their solar panels are tested to European standard EN12975 and certified by a reputable institution.

one of the common misconceptions about solar panels, is that the Uk does not supply enough sun energy for the solar panels to be as strong as other countries, nonetheless the UK gets around 65-70% of the sun in Spain. This is all that is needed in order to operate a solar thermal system.

A solar heating system can provide 50-60% of an your annual hot water, when designed beneficially. shower, bath, and kitchen). This means that in the summertime the solar system will provide 90-100% of your hot water needs, and in the wintertime it will save energy by principally pre-heating your water and giving the boiler less “work” to do, thence conserving energy, prolonging the lifetime of the boiler and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

Solar systems work by absorbing light and converting it into heat using photovoltaic cells. In other words, even on a dull cold day the diffused light will pre-heat the water in the cylinder and offer major savings.

If needed, your backing systems (e.g. can increase the water to the preferred temperature.

The efficiency of the solar systems are dramtically increased during lengthy summer days, due to the length of exposure to the light being longer. Even on cloudy days, the length of light helps heat the water to high temperatures still.

Solar thermal systems can some take 2 days to install. Nevertheless this depends upon the type of property it is being installed on, type of roof etc.

During the installation the engineer takes special care to ensure that there is minimal disruption and the provision of hot water is typically up and running within a few hours, to that the normal household routine is not disturbed.

Again the type of circumstances such as roof complexity, loft access etc determines the price of installations. An existing 3-4 bedroom should, usually cost around 3,500-5,000 as a general guide.

Solar Solutions are great for any type of home, whether big or small due to the energy efficiency levels. Plus grants are out there which make it easier for home owners to attain a green home, for a fraction of the price.

For additional info telling you how you will save and earn money from having a PV solar system installed in your home, visit ICB solar.