Will roof installations make other cities green with envy?

Philadelphia is about to get a lot greener, from the top down.

In a press conference September 2 at Peco Energy Co.'s Market Street headquarters, Mayor Nutter joined Peco's president and chief executive, Denis O'Brien; Philadelphia Horticultural Society President Jane Pepper and Free Library CEO Linda Johnson in announcing that the utility company is nearing completion of its "green roof," while the library plans its own green roof with Peco's financial help.

"The centerpiece of Peco's environmental initiative is the creation of a 45,000-square-foot green roof" atop the Peco building, said O'Brien. "We are at the vanguard of this environmental effort, and as an engineer, I admire the benefits a green roof can provide."

Some of the benefits of a vegetation-covered roof include nature-aided cooling and insulation, along with better management of rainwater runoff.

The utility also announced the donation of $50,000 to the Free Library to help it become the largest public building in Philadelphia with green-roof technology.

The library's 5,000-square-foot green roof will adorn the Beaux Arts building, once library expansion is completed. Ground-breaking will be held in December.

"We are trying to be the greenest city in America," Nutter said.

"Global warming is very serious, and this issue is very important to the citizens of Philadelphia." *