Life-cycle resource consumption of hydroponic green roof systems

The paper assesses the circularity performance of a Hydroponic Green Roof System installed on a building roof in Southern Italy. The study applies the Life Cycle Assessment methodology with a cradle-to-gate approach, considering the stages from raw material supply to system assembly. The analysis focuses on resource consumption indicators related to land use, water use, minerals and metals, non-renewable energy sources and renewable energy sources. The results identify the main environmental hot-spots of the system. In particular, the water tank and the platform emerge as the most relevant components across several impact categories. The study highlights the importance of material selection and design optimization to improve the circularity of urban hydroponic systems.