Green roofs as a key component of future-ready buildings
Green roofs place a range of demands on planning, construction and implementation. With Hamburg’s solar green roof mandate coming into effect in 2027, the combination of green roofs and photovoltaics will become a planning requirement for certain new buildings and major roof renovations. In addition to the building’s structural load-bearing capacity and the selection of suitable plants and substrates, the individual functional layers are crucial. Automated, demand-based irrigation should also be integrated into electrical and building services planning at an early stage. For solar green roofs, the optimal coordination of vegetation and photovoltaics is also essential to ensure long-term functionality and performance. “The future of building technology will also be decided on our rooftops. We are therefore particularly pleased that GET NORD is placing greater emphasis on green roofs and building greening this year. With Hamburg’s new solar green roof mandate coming into effect in 2027, the combination of green roofs and photovoltaics is becoming increasingly important. After all, green roofs can do much more than simply look attractive: they retain rainwater, help cool their surroundings and create habitats for plants and animals. In combination with photovoltaics, roof areas can be used both to generate electricity and to adapt to the consequences of climate change,” says Oliver Rumpf, Managing Director of Erwin Rumpf Garten- und Landschaftsbau GmbH & Co. KG.
A direct comparison of system structures
At the heart of the joint exhibition area are two model green roofs, each covering around ten square metres. Erwin Rumpf Garten- und Landschaftsbau GmbH & Co. KG from Nortorf will showcase an extensive green roof with sedum plants. Klaus Hildebrandt GmbH from Hamburg will present an intensive green roof featuring perennials and grasses. In addition, a central exhibition island will showcase the key layers and components of various green roof systems, material samples and an example of how they can be combined with photovoltaics. The joint exhibition area is supported by Optigrün international AG from Krauchenwies-Göggingen as the system partner for green roof materials.
Inspiration for planning and implementation
The exhibition is aimed in particular at architects, building services and electrical planners, contractors from the roofing, landscaping and photovoltaic sectors, as well as property managers and project developers. They can obtain information from the participating companies about structural requirements, suitable system solutions and materials and discuss individual questions relating to their own construction and modernisation projects. “Solar and green roofs from a single source – that is what we at Klaus Hildebrandt GmbH stand for in Hamburg and the surrounding region. We approach photovoltaics and green roofs together and focus on early coordination with roofing companies, construction companies and planning offices. GET NORD provides an important platform for bringing these trades together and laying the foundation for reliable cooperation. As a long-established Hamburg company and part of the Greenovis Group, which operates throughout Germany, we combine regional expertise with a strong network,” says Marco De Santis, Managing Director of Klaus Hildebrandt GmbH. Drawing on his many years of experience in landscaping, Oliver Rumpf knows just how important collaboration between the various specialist disciplines is when it comes to practical implementation: “As a specialist contractor for green roofs, we know that the right technical planning and professional implementation are essential. Together with Klaus Hildebrandt GmbH and our system partner Optigrün international AG, we want to demonstrate at GET NORD how different green roof systems can be implemented in practice. With our joint stand, we are making the various options and technical structures directly tangible. We look forward to exchanging ideas with planners, architects and the trades involved, because the combination of building technology and green roofs will play an increasingly important role in the future.”
In doing so, GET NORD underlines its role as a platform for interdisciplinary knowledge transfer and professional exchange on the future of building and energy technology. It brings together different specialist disciplines, uses practical applications to demonstrate technical developments and how they interact, and provides inspiration for the planning and implementation of future-ready building concepts.
