Victoria council wants to make it easier for building owners to install solar panels, rooftop patios and green roofs.
It has voted unanimously to have staff look at ways of both providing incentives for and reducing barriers to green roofs, rooftop solar and other innovative uses of rooftop spaces.
Coun. Jeremy Caradonna, who pushed for the study, said it was motivated by meetings with building owners who said there were barriers to making better use of the roof space.
Caradonna argued green roofs, solar panels, rooftop patios and other features would be effective ways of supporting urban liveability, driving environmental goals, and making efficient use of limited urban space.
Right now, he said, there are a lot of empty concrete rectangles and squares that could be put to better use.
“As the city densifies, I think it’s really important that we have really good land use, and roofs are one of those things,” he said.
Karen Hoese, the city’s director of sustainable planning and community development, noted the city already offers incentives to install green roofs and cisterns through its rainwater rewards program.
“We already have 24 properties receiving credits for green roofs under the program and 38 projects with green roofs proposed [that are] under construction and new development,” she told council, adding the city also offers credits for permeable pavement rain gardens, infiltration chambers, and bioswales, which are designed to channel and remove debris from stormwater runoff.
She also noted they are starting to tackle zoning bylaws that have prevented rooftop innovation.
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