Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman
When it comes to saving energy, NASA sometimes turns to nature to get the job done. The headquarters building at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is developing a green roof — one that uses living plants to reduce the need for heating and cooling . A group of 34 volunteers, including some from a local group of Virginia Master Naturalists, recently planted 4,300 sedum plants atop the headquarters building. Sedum is a type of succulent that doesn’t require frequent watering.
Within two years, the plants should have covered designated portions of the roof.
“It’s insulation that’s sustainable,” said Jessica Snyder, a Pathways intern who works at the center while pursuing an aerospace engineering degree at Old Dominion University. Pathways is a program that provides opportunities for students and recent graduates to be considered for federal employment.
“We’re looking to incorporate more green building technology to promote more sustainable energy management,” she said. Green roof systems and solar farms are both prime examples of techniques that help reduce energy consumption of buildings. “That saves us on energy costs and that money can go back into research that helps NASA complete its missions and objectives,” Snyder said.
Snyder is pictured in the photo’s foreground. To her right are Master Naturalist Jeanne Macomber and NASA Langley’s Tiffany Mathews and Emily Northup.
Sam McDonald
NASA Langley Research Center