Archive for February, 2014

Bright Prospects? China’s Rooftop Solar Goal May Be Unreachable
February 28th, 2014

Via Reuters, a report on Beijing’s audacious goal of tripling solar power from small-scale operations: Solar panels are seen on the roofs of residential houses in Qingnan village of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province January 8, 2014. Beijing’s goal of tripling solar power from small-scale operations such as rooftop panels looks overly ambitious, risking disappointment for investors […]

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Cool Roofs In Warming Cities May Come At A Cost
February 13th, 2014

Via the Christian Science Monitor, a article on how – as cities confront global warming by reflecting sunlight or planting gardens – they could add to winter heating costs or even decrease rainfall in some regions: “Cool” roofs and roofs covered with vegetation can be effective tools for keeping people who live in America‘s broad, […]

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White Roofs Could Offset Summer Warming By 2100
February 12th, 2014

Via Renew Economy, an interesting report on the potential of white roofs: Painting building roofs white could cool some major cities baking in the intensifying heat of a changing climate. How much benefits white roofs could bring depend on the region of the country they’re installed in and the season, new research shows. Keeping cities cool in […]

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Why White Roofs Are Better Than Green Roofs At Fighting Climate Change
February 5th, 2014

Via Architizer, an article on white versus green roofs: Over the last decade, green roofs—that is, rooftops planted with living vegetation—have been touted for their environmentally friendly benefits. But while they certainly help prevent rainwater runoff and provide extra insulation, a new study shows that the sustainable rooftop garden might not be the best solution […]

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About This Blog And Its Author
As potential uses for building and parking lot roofspace continue to grow, unique opportunities to understand and profit from this trend will emerge. Roof Options is committed to tracking the evolving uses of roof estate – spanning solar power, rainwater harvesting, wind power, gardens & farms, “cooling” sites, advertising, apiculture, and telecom transmission platforms – to help unlock the nascent, complex, and expanding roofspace asset class.

Educated at Yale University (Bachelor of Arts - History) and Harvard (Master in Public Policy - International Development), Monty Simus has held a lifelong interest in environmental and conservation issues, primarily as they relate to freshwater scarcity, renewable energy, and national park policy. Working from a water-scarce base in Las Vegas with his wife and son, he is the founder of Water Politics, an organization dedicated to the identification and analysis of geopolitical water issues arising from the world’s growing and vast water deficits, and is also a co-founder of SmartMarkets, an eco-preneurial venture that applies web 2.0 technology and online social networking innovations to motivate energy & water conservation. He previously worked for an independent power producer in Central Asia; co-authored an article appearing in the Summer 2010 issue of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, titled: “The Water Ethic: The Inexorable Birth Of A Certain Alienable Right”; and authored an article appearing in the inaugural issue of Johns Hopkins University's Global Water Magazine in July 2010 titled: “H2Own: The Water Ethic and an Equitable Market for the Exchange of Individual Water Efficiency Credits.”