No. 373: Establishing a mass production method of a moss for rooftop gardening (December 7, 2011)

A subsidiary of Konica Minolta started to grow a moss on the rooftop of its plant building in Tokyo. The employees are expected to develop the optimal mass production method of a moss for rooftop gardening while they grow it. It often takes two or three years to grow a moss, and the low productivity prevents the application of moss to rooftop gardening from spreading. The employees are scheduled to verify the method of transplanting a moss after they grow it inside a building to develop a moss strong to sunlight.

A moss on the rooftop is effective to shut down sunlight and prevent heat from running through a building. It absorbs water and allows a building to cool down while it discharges the heat piecemeal. The company already confirmed that a moss on the rooftop reduced the surface temperature of the rooftop by 20 degrees centigrade. Should trees and a lawn be sued for rooftop gardening, paving soil on the rooftop is necessary. Accordingly, the rooftop should be reinforced to increase the strength. But using a moss does not require any additional measures. An increasing number of buildings use a moss for rooftop gardening, and sheet moss is available on the market. The company plans to enter into the rooftop gardening business once it succeeds in establishing a moss production method that can differentiates itself from the methods on the market.