Public School Green Rooftop Program

Green roofs on educational facilities can provide an easily accessible site to teach students and visitors about biology, math, STEM, art, sustainability, green roof technology, and the benefits of green roofs.

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes the installation of green roofs throughout a city can help reduce surface urban heat islands and cool the air.

The General Services Administration recognizes a typical green roof lasts more than 40 years before requiring replacement, whereas the life of an unvegetated conventional roof could be 10 to 15 years. By making the roof membranes last longer, green roofs can save taxpayer money and reduce the amount of waste that is diverted into landfills.

The National Park Service recognizes green roofs can improve the energy performance of buildings, help manage stormwater, reduce airborne emissions, and mitigate the effects of urban heat islands.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations encourages and supports countries to promote school gardens with educational goals to help students, school staff, and families make the connection between growing food and good diets, develop life skills, and increase environmental awareness.

Greater weatherization and insulation offered by green roof assemblies reduce the amount of energy needed to moderate the temperature of a building, as roofs can be the source of the greatest heat loss in the winter and the hottest temperatures in the summer.

A green roof can protect waterproofing membranes from exposure to ultraviolet radiation and wide temperature fluctuations. This protection feature can greatly extend the lifespan and cost effectiveness of waterproofing membranes.

Green roofs can contribute to landfill diversion by prolonging the life cycle of waterproofing membranes and insulation materials. By increasing the life cycle and reducing roof replacement costs, less roofing materials over the life of the building need to be disposed of. Green roofs generate the need for recycled components in growing media. Green roofs can prolong the service life of heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems through decreased use.

Green roofs can reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and also delay the time at which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased stress on sewer systems and streams at peak flow periods and decreased pollution in United States waterways.

The plants on green roofs can capture airborne pollutants, atmospheric deposition, and can filter noxious gases, as well as provide habitat for and habitat connectivity for local species of pollinators.

Green roofs can provide much needed additional greenspaces to urban centers. These greenspaces can create new habitats for a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects needed for healthy biosystems.

Green roofs can provide much needed greenspaces for healthy human habitation of dense urban spaces. Green roofs can be used for passive and active recreation and relaxation spaces for humans.

Green roofs can generate potential employment for green roof installation and maintenance personnel. Specialized green roof installations can generate income and employment for urban farm operations.

The temperature moderating effects of green roofs can reduce demand for electrical power and other energy and fuel sources, and potentially decrease the amount of CO2 and other polluting by-products being released into the air.

Through natural transpiration, plants on vertical and horizontal surfaces are able to cool cities during hot summer months and reduce the urban heat island effect.

Green roofs plants can capture dust and particulate matter throughout cities, as well as the production of smog. This can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting urban areas to a future climate with warmer summers.

Green roofs improve human health and wellbeing through improvement of local air quality, regulation of temperature, and sequestration of harmful airborne substances, particularly among children and other vulnerable or at-risk communities.

Green roofs on public infrastructure provide cost-savings for the life of the project, through defraying future replacement and energy costs.

Green roofs contribute to the stabilization of neighborhoods as a result of improved health, scenic qualities, and elevated nearby property valuation.

Green roofs provide habitat for wildlife such as pollinators and migratory birds.

Grant program authorized— The Secretary, taking into account recommendations from the Director of the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office of the Department of Energy, shall make grants to eligible entities to pay the costs of planning assistance for a green roof system described in subsection (b).

Allowable use of funds for grants for planning assistance— An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant for the following purposes:

Application— To receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

Public school green roof installation program— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to install an extensive or intensive green roof system.

Application— To receive a grant under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, which shall include—

Priority— In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities in which not fewer than 30 percent of students served by such entities are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Installation— Not later than 4 years after receiving a grant under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall complete installation of a green roof system.

Maintenance of infrastructure— In addition to receiving a grant under subsection (a), each eligible entity that meets the installation requirements of subsection (d) shall receive additional funding for an additional 4-year period for maintenance activities, which may include the following:

each grant application received under this Act; and

any grants awarded under this Act, including—

Elementary school— The term elementary school has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), except that such section shall be applied as if the term “State”, as it appears in such section, had the meaning given such term in this section.

Eligible entity— The term “eligible entity” means—

Green roof— The term green roof means a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system or waterproof management practice that is installed on top of a flat or slightly sloped roof that may support plant growth, including—

Indian tribe— The term Indian tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

Local educational agency— The term “local educational agency” has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), except that such section shall be applied as if the term “State”, as it appears in such section, had the meaning given such term in this section.

Low-income individual— The term “low-income individual” means, with respect to any calendar year, any individual who lives in a household that has a gross income that does not exceed 300 percent of the poverty line.

Nonprofit organization— The term “nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

One-stop career center— The term “one-stop career center” means a comprehensive one-stop center described in section 361.305 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act).

Poverty line— The term poverty line has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

Secondary school— The term secondary school has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), except that such section shall be applied as if the term “State”, as it appears in such section, had the meaning given such term in this section.

Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.

State— The term “State” means each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia, each of territories, and each of the Indian tribes.

Territory— The term territory means the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Weatherization— The term weatherization means the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from sunlight, precipitation, and wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.

Appropriation for grants for planning assistance— There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out section 3 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

Appropriation for green roof installation— There is authorized to be appropriated $300,000,000 to award grants under section 4(a) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025.

Appropriation for maintenance of infrastructure— There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to provide funds under section 4(e) for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.