Green Roof Enhances Sustainability on NWTC Campus

High above the grounds of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay is a small patch of green space that most students are unlikely to come across. It’s the college’s new green roof, and with its installation on the new third floor of the Student Commons building, the college continues its push to create a more sustainable campus.

NWTC’s green roof was installed in May as part of a 7,000 square foot addition in a project that included a host of other energy efficient add-ons. The green roof (2,500 square feet) is set next to two variations of traditional roofing systems, and presents a golden opportunity to compare energy-savings and to test benefit claims.

Chet Lamers, NWTC’s capital projects manager who oversaw much of the design and construction, sees the roof not only as another step towards potentially reducing campus energy costs, but as a way to expand high-tech education opportunities for NWTC students pursuing degrees in Renewable Energy and Sustainable Practices.