Xero Flor America (XFA), the official and exclusive distributor in the United States for the Xero Flor Green Roof System, announced that the system has been installed on the Empire State Building. The system was selected for four green roofs: 21^st floor east (3,450 square feet), 21^st floor west (3,450 square feet), 25^th floor northwest (1,000 square feet) and 30^th floor west (1,200 square feet). The green roofs on the 21^st floor feature rooftop patios with outdoor furniture for the enjoyment of office tenants.

“With its comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit program, the Empire State Building has attracted new tenants who derive direct economic benefits from our energy efficiency program, and who recognize the value of healthy workplace environments for attracting and retaining talented employees,” said Tom Durels, executive vice president of Malkin Holdings LLC, which supervises the Empire State Building. “The new green roofs further demonstrate our sustainability leadership and add appealing green space that enhances the value of office space for our tenants.”

“Xero Flor is a well-engineered system with the strength and durability required for the challenging conditions on the Empire State Building,” said Rainer Gerbatsch, RRC, LEED AP, president, Commercial Roofing Solutions Inc., Clifton, N.J., roofing and waterproofing consultant for the project. “Xero Flor has a long-standing record of reliability, and we have had success with the system in other projects, most notably on the Javits Convention Center.”

“With the completion of the green roofs on the Empire State Building and Javits Center, 85 Xero Flor green roofs will cover approximately 530,000 square feet of rooftops across New York City,” said Clayton Rugh, Ph.D., general manager and technical director, XFA. “The green roofs decrease stormwater run-off and improve water quality in New York’s waterways, moderate the urban heat island effect, filter dust and other air pollutants, and store carbon dioxide and other forms of carbon to reduce greenhouse gases.”

Xero Flor is an extensive green roof system. It features lightweight, pre-vegetated mats that utilize a patented, textile-based design engineered in Germany and refined over more than 40 years of successful installations. Xero Flor has been proven in Europe and around the world on tens of thousands of rooftops covering hundreds of millions of square feet. Xero Flor America has installed the system in 38 states since 2002. All system components for projects in the United States are 100 percent American-made. Xero Flor America grows its green roof plants at independently owned local farms. The mats, which roll out like sod, are delivered with extensive vegetative coverage for instant green roofs with a diversity of mature, full-grown plants adapted to specific regional climates.

For more information, visit www.xeroflora.cm.