Biosolar-roofs.com
dedicated to solar green roofs

This guide details all the key research studies into biosolar roofs from around the globe, including:

• Biosolar roofs make indoor temperatures 6% more comfortable
• Biosolar roofs produce 4.3% more energy than bare solar
• Designing biosolar roofs for biodiversity
• Study of biodiversity on a biosolar roof
• The photovoltaic rooftop garden
• Recommendations for biosolar installations
• Biosolar roofs delivers cooler air temperatures; produces more electricity
• Biosolar roofs help reduce peak flow in rain storms
• Environmental benefits of biosolar roofs

What are the best plants for living roofs with solar panels? Wasked some of the leading botanists, ecologists and wildflower experts for their recommendations.
The result is a species mix that includes plants that are:

• Beneficial for wildlife, including pollinators.
• Beneficial for plant biodiversity, including endangered species.
• Of moderate sizes (ideally 60cm height or less), or taller plants that can be kept in check through regular maintenance.
• Can grow in extreme roof-top conditions, coping with wind, lack of shade, other forms of extreme weather.
• Plants that will grow in shady, drier conditions (under the panels).
• Easily self-propagate, but are not invasive.
• Perennial and annuals.

Biosolar installations are impacted by UK government, departmental and planning regulations and guidelines as well as trade bodies such as Green Roof Organisation (GRO). The most important of these are:

• GRO Biosolar Best Practice Guidelines – 9 rules
• Urban Greening Factor (UGF)
• Department for Education (DfE)’s Design Brief 2022
• Biodviersity net gain (BNG)
• Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS)
• PV system design and installation

All your questions answered by the biosolar roof gurus, including:

• What is a biosolar roof? What is a photovoltaic green roof.
• Why install a biosolar roof?
• Do biosolar roofs help you get planning permission?
• How is a biosolar roof / solar green roof constructed?
• What is a wind loading report or a wind uplift calculation?
• Do biosolar roofs help biodiversity?
• What are the guidelines on installing a biosolar roofs?
• How much maintenance does a biosolar roof require?
• How long does a biosolar roof last?
• What is agrivoltaics? What is agrivoltaic farming?

The solar panels capture solar energy and turn it into electricity, but as panels become warm, they become less efficient. In biosolar roofs, the plants help keep the ambient temperature lower, which makes panels more efficient. What is covered in this article:

• How solar panels are constructed
• How solar panels work
• Why solar panels become less efficient with heat
• How biosolar roofs counter solar panel inefficiency
• How biosolar roofs are constructed / the build-up

There are many environmental, economic and regulatory benefits of biosolar roofs, we explain these and back them up with hard statistics and evidence. These guide covers:

• Environmental benefits: minimise energy use; decrease urban heat island impact; lower carbon emissions; reduce stormwater runoff; reduce pollution: air, water and noise.
• Economic benefits: maximise energy production; reduce energy costs, reduce need for heating and cooling.
• Regulatory and planning benefits: biosolar roofs help new developments get planning permission
• Biodiversity benefits: grows native wild flowers; provides habitat and food for invertebrates, birds etc.