Carbon dioxide removal via green roofs, integrated with PV solar panels

This project aims to develop and demonstrate multifunctional urban green-roof systems that combine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through enhanced mineral weathering with photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generation. The concept seeks to move beyond single-purpose urban infrastructure by integrating carbon removal, renewable energy, climate adaptation, biodiversity and circular resource use within the same urban space.

The project will investigate the application of suitable silicate minerals and mineral by-products to green-roof systems, quantifying CDR through mineral weathering while assessing impacts on vegetation, substrates, water balance and wider ecosystem services. The integration of PV panels will be explored to assess synergies between green roofs and renewable energy generation, including potential effects on microclimate, vegetation performance, roof temperature and PV efficiency.

Pilot demonstrations are currently being planned in Spain and the Netherlands, providing an opportunity to test the approach under contrasting urban, climatic and regulatory conditions. The project is open to additional demonstration sites and partners from other European regions and, where relevant, non-EU countries.

The project will adopt an interdisciplinary and transnational approach combining geochemistry, urban ecology, green-roof engineering, renewable energy, carbon accounting/MRV, lifecycle assessment, economics and urban planning. Key areas of investigation will include:

• Quantification and verification of CDR and associated carbon flows;

• Selection and optimisation of mineral materials and potential industrial by-products;

• Effects of mineral amendments on vegetation, substrates, water and nutrient dynamics;

• Design and optimisation of green-roof systems co-located with PV;

• Assessment of climate-adaptation and biodiversity co-benefits;

• Lifecycle carbon, environmental and resource assessments;

• Economic assessment and potential circular supply chains for mineral materials;

• Development of monitoring, reporting and verification approaches suitable for future deployment;

• Assessment of regulatory, planning and procurement requirements;

• Development of pathways for replication and scaling across different urban contexts.

We are seeking EU and, where relevant, non-EU partners interested in developing and demonstrating multifunctional urban infrastructure, particularly:

• Academic and research organisations with expertise in CDR, enhanced weathering, geochemistry, urban ecology, green roofs, PV, environmental assessment, modelling or MRV;

• Municipalities and urban authorities interested in hosting demonstration sites and exploring practical pathways for implementation;

• Industrial partners, including green-roof manufacturers and installers, PV and renewable-energy companies, mineral suppliers, construction-material companies, waste/by-product producers and environmental technology providers;

• Other stakeholders able to contribute to urban planning, governance, finance, standards, policy, citizen engagement or commercialisation.

The consortium is particularly interested in partners who can contribute existing infrastructure, demonstration sites, complementary expertise, relevant material streams, monitoring capabilities or routes to implementation.

The project is intended to align with the Circular Urban Economies pathway of the DUT Call 2026, while also addressing wider urban challenges including climate adaptation, renewable energy, resource circularity and carbon neutrality.