Division of Food Production and Society
Rooftop greenhouse in Bergen
End: jun 2019
Start: sep 2018
Rooftop greenhouses have several potential advantages for the environment and for producing and selling berries and greens. I this pre-study we investigate the possibilities for building a rooftop greenhouse in Bergen, Norway.
Project participants
Michel Verheul Signe Kårstad Frøydis Lindén, Fylkesmannens landbruksavdeling, Hordaland Gerd Litun, Bergen Kommune, Landbruksavdelingen Jesper Jorde, TAG arkitekter Gudrun Molden, HLM arkitektur Bjart Nygaard, Solheimsviken Næringspark AS (datterselskap av CG Rieber Eiendom AS) Jørn Erik Toppe , Toppe Blomster Stine Vikne, Stine Vikne Blomster Ida Kleppe, Bybonden i Bergen Jørn Hammer, Den Lille Gartner Øystein Ellingsen, Bare Vestland| Start - end date | 01.09.2018 - 30.06.2019 |
| Project manager | Anna Birgitte Milford |
| Division | Division of Food Production and Society |
| Department | Economics and Society |
| Funding source | Hordaland Fylkeskommune, Fylkesmannens Landbruksavdeling Vestland og Solheimsviken Næringspark |
When a greenhouse is built on a roof, the host building and the plant production can mutually benefit from each other in terms of energy consumption and environmental control. In an urban setting, closeness to consumers reduces transport costs and makes it possible to sell newly harvested high-quality products. Rooftop greenhouses can also have social functions such as education and community building. But a rooftop greenhouse needs to be economically sustainable if it is to operate.
In the project we present and systemise existing technical and economic information about the building, operating and maintenance of rooftop greenhouses. Both economic, social and environmental aspects are considered. Information is gathered through literature reviews, internet searching and qualitative interviews with stakeholders with experience with rooftop greenhouses. The information will be systemised in a report published on NIBIO’s web pages.
An important part of the project is to build networks between relevant actors, which may facilitate the actual building of a rooftop greenhouse in Bergen. The project group consists of actors interested in rooftop greenhouses from different angles: Architects, gardeners, property companies, restaurant chefs and government employees. The two researchers leading the project are an economist and a plant physiologist working with greenhouses. Apart from project meetings, the project group organise a study trip visiting actual rooftop greenhouses.
Publications in the project
Abstract
Å bygge veksthus på tak i byer kan ha flere fordeler. Redusert avstand til forbrukere gir ferskere varer og mindre kostnader og forurensing forbundet med transport og lagring. Dette er spesielt viktig for byer som ligger langt fra der maten produseres. Veksthus i byer kan også gi den urbane befolkningen muligheten til å lære mer om hvordan mat dyrkes. Ved å bygge veksthus på tak istedenfor på bakken spares arealer som i stedet kan brukes til jordbruk, grøntområder eller andre typer boliger. Et veksthus på tak som er integrert med den øvrige bygningen, kan også utnytte varmen fra etasjene under, noe som vil være energibesparende.