To control climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2, the European research project GROOF focuses on the potential of using roof greenhouses. Launched in 2017 for four years, with the support of the Interreg NWE Program, it brings together European partners from five countries (Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and France) working in the world of construction and agriculture. The CSTB is responsible for one of the three technical aspects of the project.
The GROOF research project (Greenhouses to Reduce CO2 on Roofs) uses a multidisciplinary approach combining the skills of the project partners. It proposes to establish a social energy loop between the roof greenhouse and the building supporting it for local production of fruit, flowers and vegetables and the reduction of CO2 emissions.
The project aims for 3 benefits:
- Recovering the heat generated but not consumed by the building for use in onsite fruit, flower and vegetable production (on average, 30% of the energy produced by a building is lost through its roof).
- Collecting the CO2 produced by building activities and people to feed the plants.
- Preventing CO2 emissions from transportation by bringing production sites closer to consumers.
To achieve this, the GROOF project aims at facilitating the installation of roof greenhouses by demonstrating and sharing best practices with construction and agriculture stakeholders. Thus making it possible to:
- Identify and reduce barriers to market access (urban development rules, technical regulations, insurance, etc.);
- Experiment with and demonstrate the effectiveness of the technologies developed for a representative number of business models;
- Support the implementation of pilot projects and ultimately provide a guide to best practices.
The CSTB is overseeing the competence team building and construction strand of the project and one of the technical aspects. Its mission is to review the solutions for the installation and operation of roof greenhouses in countries of northwestern Europe from scientific, technical and regulatory perspectives. The CSTB will also organize knowledge sharing in the industry. A guide to best practices will be prepared to facilitate the installation of roof greenhouses on the market.
Four pilot greenhouses will be installed to demonstrate the sustainability of the proposed models based on the types of buildings and greenhouses and to support the launch of solutions on the European market. In France, the CSTB will support Les Fermes de Gally in their roof greenhouse project in the Île-de-France region, in collaboration with the horticultural research association ASTREDHOR.
Find out more:
CSTB contact: maeva.sabre@cstb.fr
Urban Development 
Energy & Environment 