GROOF - Greenhouses to Reduce CO2 on Roofs
The GROOF project is an innovative cross-sectoral approach to reduce CO2 emissions in the construction and agricultural sectors by combining energy sharing and local food production. The idea is to use roof greenhouses as a tool for (1) recovering actively the produced and not consumed heat generated and otherwise lost by the building that supports the structure (through the ventilation system) and passively (30% heat lost through the roofs on average) in vegetables and herbs production, (2) collect CO2 produced by human activity and building activities to "feed" the plants, (3) reduce transport-generated CO2 emissions by producing plants locally. The greenhouse itself is an extra activity located outside of the building but sharing energy with it in order to make both of the structures more efficient.Concretely, the project will facilitate the emergence of this type of greenhouse on the market by demonstrating and disseminating among the actors of construction and agriculture good practices favorable to the development of profitable and functional business and social models.
The project will aim specifically at: (1) identifying and reducing barriers to market access (urban planning rules, technical regulations, insurance, etc.), (2) supporting first users in the implementation of their project, (3) experimenting and demonstrating the effectiveness of technology for a representative number of business and social models. The results of each activity will be shared with the target communities (e.g. regional and national public authorities, SMEs and large companies, research centers).
GROOF will invest in four pilots, designed to prove the effectiveness and durability of the models related to different building types. GROOF will then launch this solution on the European market.