Research | Landscape Performance Series
Benefits Toolkit
The Landscape Performance Series Benefits Toolkit is a searchable collection of online tools and calculators to estimate landscape performance.
The tools can be used to estimate specific landscape benefits for completed projects when actual measurements are not available, or they can be used in the design phase to compare projected benefits among various options. Many tools also allow the user to compare life-cycle costs for conventional and sustainable design features.
Know of additional tools to calculate landscape performance benefits? Help build the database by sending your suggestions to lps@lafoundation.org.
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Showing 10 Results for Stormwater management
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2011
Benefits
Stormwater management
Water conservation
Water quality
Flood protection
Energy use & emissions
Air quality
Temperature & urban heat island
Carbon storage & sequestration
Property values
Other economic
Recreational & social value
Educational valueThe Value of Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Recognizing Its Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits
American Rivers, Center for Neighborhood Technology
2011This broad analysis attempts to place an economic value on the numerous benefits provided by green infrastructure (defined here as a network of decentralized stormwater management practices). The report brings together current research on green infrastructure performance and presents methods for calculating related benefits. It offers simple equations to quantify water, energy, air quality, climate change benefits for green roofs, tree planting, bioretention and infiltration, permeable pavement, and water harvesting. To estimate the dollar value of each of these quantified benefits, examples and, when possible, simple equations are provided. The report also offers information and examples of benefits related to green infrastructure’s impact on the urban heat island effect, aspects of community livability, habitat improvement, and public education.
0 View/Leave Comments2010
GBRL Green Roof Energy Calculator (v 2.0)
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Portland State University, University of Toronto
2010This calculator compares the annual energy performance of a building with a green roof to the same building with either a conventional dark roof or a highly-reflective white roof. The results are based on simulations run for new construction (ASHRAE 90.1-2004) apartment or office buildings and use typical weather data for 100 major cities in the U.S. and Canada. Inputs include nearest major city, total roof area, percent green roof cover, growing media depth, and leaf area index of plants. With version 2.0, users can now specify whether construction is new or older and whether the green roof is irrigated or not. The calculator uses default utility rates for each city, or the user can enter his own. Results are the electrical, gas, and energy cost savings for a green roof compared to a dark roof and a white roof. Additional outputs with version 2.0 include heat exchange between the roof and the urban environment and an estimate of the annual roof water balance, including net runoff.
http://greenbuilding.pdx.edu/GR_CALC_v2/grcalc_v2.php#retain
2 View/Leave Comments
May 21st, 2012 10:26am
Landscape Architecture Foundation said:The tool has been upgraded from v 1.1 to v 2.0 -- we fixed the link and updated the description. Note that the new version has some added functionality. From Dr. Sailor at Portland State:
What is new in version 2?
* user can now specify new or older construction for both commercial and residential buildings
* user can specify whether the green roof is irrigated or not
* model output for sensible and latent heat exchange between the roof and the urban environment is now given
* the model now outputs an estimate of the annual roof water balance.
Benefits
Stormwater managementStorm Water Retention Calculator
Green Paks
2010This Excel-based calculator estimates the amount of water a green roof can retain. Inputs are: green roof area, inches of rain for local 10-year storm, and parameters for the green roof growth media, moisture retention fabric, and drainage core. The calculator yields total gallons of water retained, gallons per square foot, weight of water retained, and the runoff coefficient.
http://www.greenpaks.com/images/Storm_Water_Management_Tool_II.xls
1 View/Leave Comments
Oct 10th, 2011 12:16am
Peter said:This tool link needs to be updated. Currently it goes to an advertisement, not the calculator. This is their tool webpage:
http://greenroofblocks.com/index.php/page/storm-water-management-tool
Rainwater Harvesting Calculator
State of Washington Department of Ecology
2010This Excel-based calculator was developed to help residents of Washington State size and test scenarios for rain water harvesting systems based on the typical climate. The calculator assumes that water is harvested entirely from roofs and that 80% of precipitation falling on roofs is captured. Inputs are the nearest Washington city, estimated daily indoor water use, area of lawn to be irrigated, cistern storage capacity, and roof area. Ouputs include monthly cistern carryover and overflow volumes and estimated monthly volumes of captured rainwater for indoor and outdoor use. Results are displayed in tabular and bar graph format.
2009
Benefits
Stormwater managementStormUlator
California Sea Grant Program, California State Water Resources Control Board, UC Davis Extension - Center for Water and Land Use
2009This Excel-based calculator was designed as an awareness tool to give a general idea of what is needed to keep pre- and post-development runoff volume the same. It can be used to compare the increase in runoff volume for development with and without stormwater BMPs. The calculator is designed for California communities, but users from elsewhere can input their own rainfall data to use the calculator. Inputs include: project site area, existing and proposed dominant non-built land use types, and existing and proposed roof and non-roof built area. The user then fills in various worksheets for BMPs used, such as porous pavement, downspout disconnection, and green roofs. Outputs are: pre-project runoff volume, project-related runoff volume increase without BMPs and project-related volume increase with BMPs.
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