Bio-Solar roofs save on energy in two ways:
1. The green roof reduces the heat load of the building. This is due to a small amount of insulation value (appx. R 1.8) along with a lot of evaporative cooling, which can reduce the heat load 25 or 30 % for the floor under the building.
2. Green roofs keep the air temperature around the solar panels much cooler, equal to ambient temperature. This is important as the efficiency of solar panels drops off at temperatures higher than 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The green roof component is expected to increase solar output by appx. 5-15 % compared to traditional rooftop solar installations.
