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Prairie View A & M University: A Case Study

Decent Essays

Seeing that Prairie View A&M University is a small campus consisting of about 9,000 students you would believe that they are doing a lot of eco-friendly things, such as using energy efficient bulbs and having recycle bins placed near every trash can on campus. Becoming more sustainable can go way beyond the little things; the campus can install solar panels or installing a green roof. Solar panles use light energy from the sun to generate electricity through this effect called the photovoltaic effect. Installing solar panels can be very expensive, but in the end it’ll save the college a lot of money on their electricity bills. Solar energy is non polluting and it is emission free while generating electricty. Another advantage of using solar …show more content…

It is a "green building certification program that recognizes the best in class building strategies and practices." (LEED) There’s two types of green roofing depending on the depth of how far the planting can go. An intensive roof, which is thicker and it can support a wider variety of plants. Intensive roofs do require more maintenance and are heavier than most, because the minimum weight for this roof is 80 pounds. The second type of green roof is a extensive roof, which is shallow and lighter than the intensive roof which require minimal maintenance. The types of plants for an extensive roof “…have to survive intense solar radiation, wind exposure, drought, low nutrient supply, freezing temperatures and limited root area.” (International Green Roof Association) A green roof has about 8 layers starting with the roof deck, which is the actual building itself then a waterproofing layer is put down to prevent water damage from happening. “… a single-ply membrane such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer – a rubber typically used for pond liners) or TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin – an environmentally friendly and recyclable roofing product mostly used in large-scale commercial buildings, like the Rogers Centre) is usually used.” (Green Garage) After the water proofing layer is placed a drainage, water retention, and filter layers are placed down to act as root barriers for the

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