Al-Kurdi first heard about green rooftops when studying for her master’s degree in renewable energy at the University of Jordan. In her mind, something clicked. “It’s a very special and unique solution that not only provides a reduction in energy costs, but also restores the environment in the heart of the city,” she says. Interest piqued, Al-Kurdi established Lina Energy in January 2017 after going through SwitchMed’s green entrepreneurship program.

“As an engineer, I didn’t have this business mentality, so the program helped me understand how I should approach this project,” she says. “It helped me to go from just a business idea to implementing and preparing a green business plan.”

As part of their market research, Al-Kurdi and her team spent 18 months looking into the impact green rooftops could have on energy efficiency across the region. They found that energy reduction rates ranged from 12% in northern Jordan to 19% in the south of the country. In a 2017 study looking at the energy saving and economic potential of green rooftops in Saudi Arabia, researchers found that buildings with a green roof experienced as high as a 35% reduction in energy consumption — and that green rooftops were still an unexplored option that could mitigate pollution, reduce urban heat islands, and absorb sound.

Lina Energy’s target market is commercial businesses, such as malls, hospitals, private schools, and universities — any location that uses high levels of cooling to maintain customer comfort. “In the MENA region, cooling demands last for most of the year, and while we want to benefit the community by creating green space, we also want the green roof owner to have a direct benefit through money saved,” Al-Kurdi notes. Not solely focused on the Jordanian market, Al-Kurdi is also looking to take on projects across the region.

A world where energy is efficient, not just renewable:

Winning over initial investors has been a major first-year hurdle, requiring a shift in how people view efficiency compared to renewables.

“When you talk about photovoltaics, wind turbines, and biogas, everyone says they know what those are and how they work. They’ll consider investing in it, and they’re not afraid,” Al-Kurdi says.

While public understanding of efficiency usually stops at appliances, green rooftops remain less familiar. Al-Kurdi is petitioning the Ministry of Energy for the same tax exemptions given to renewable energy companies.

Dr. Shady Attia, an energy efficiency consultant, notes that Jordan successfully normalized rooftop solar since the 1980s, and now needs legislation to recognize green roofs. Government support, he adds, could unlock public facilities, while commercial clients could be won over by the productivity boosts of greenery.

Coupling renewables and green rooftops:

Ultimately, Al-Kurdi’s challenge is one of changing perceptions. “Green rooftops are a well proven concept with architecture companies abroad, but when I meet developers in Jordan, they say that the price is very high, despite it being lower than international prices by more than 50%,” Al-Kurdi says of her sales experiences so far.

To mitigate some of this resistance, Lina Energy is offering developers a hybrid system — part green roof, part renewable energy system through PV or turbine-generated power. This combination, in addition to the fact that they remain Jordan’s only green roof company, provide the startup’s most prominent unique selling points.

Lina Energy charges a small cost for design and to perform an energy analysis of the building. While the company formerly provided these services for free, Al-Kurdi says this led to their solution being underestimated.

In 2021, securing funding for a 100-sqm pilot roof (costing around $10,000) was the next major step to showcase the system. Meanwhile, Al-Kurdi was advancing two potential deals in Saudi Arabia and with a Jordanian NGO.

“The positive impact on a community when we reach our first couple of projects will be huge,” Al-Kurdi insists. “But we need a little bit more time and our first project to convince our potential clients to install, and show why this is so important for our cities.”

Dr. Shady Attia notes the first-hand benefits in Cairo: “We are in the middle of the desert, and these rooftops are the only opportunity in highly dense cities for people to have access to nature,” adding they provide food sources and jobs.

Creating Community Spaces for Flora and Fauna

Lina Energy ensures every rooftop design is unique and environmentally tailored.

“We design our rooftops in a way that they do not introduce new invasive plants to an area,” Al-Kurdi explains. “We can also design a green roof that creates an ecosystem for specific wildlife, particularly ones that have become endangered by city growth.”

Using drought-resistant succulents, lavender, agapanthus, bougainvillea, and Jordan’s national flower (the black iris), the team focuses on native plants. “We are trying our best to choose bushes that are effective in carbon sequestration, and are doing research on types of vegetation that can handle greenhouse gases other than carbon,” Al-Kurdi expands.

“You would be surprised by the diversity of drought-tolerant vegetation that is beautiful and flowering. There is no need to introduce other types of vegetation to get a visual impact.”

The systems are also built for arid climates with adaptable irrigation, including efficient low-water, rainwater-harvesting, and greywater-recycling models designed completely in-house.

A Market in the Middle East and Beyond

Al-Kurdi bridges European clean-tech innovations with the localized needs of the MENA region through cross-cultural experience across Italy, Sweden, and Bulgaria.

“Some green roof solutions have been implemented in the UAE, and those projects failed because they weren’t adapted to the local climate,” Al-Kurdi says. “We are not experimenting with our solution — we understand the climate and the culture where we are working.”

Acknowledging that growth is inevitable, she emphasizes smarter urban planning: “It’s saying ‘let’s grow while reducing the damage that we introduce to the environment,’” Al-Kurdi says. “We need houses, and we need facilities to provide services for us. So let’s cover them with green vegetation. It’s not just about growing cities — but growing smarter, more energy efficient ones.”

Rooftop garden on public parking lots

Since 2024, Lina Energy LE has been leading the charge in the region with its innovative rooftop gardens on public parking lots. These urban solutions are transforming concrete jungles into vibrant oases. These green warriors fight heat, clean the air, and provide pollinator havens. Lina Energy LE promotes sustainable cities, offering beauty, relaxation, and a breath of fresh air for residents. Its comprehensive portfolio paves the way for a greener future, making cities not just functional, but healthy and vibrant places to live.

Epilogue: From Urban Rooftops to a Global Clean Energy Footprint

What began in Jordan as a localized mission to cool urban spaces through green roofing and energy-efficient building layers has grown far beyond its original borders. Fueled by the momentum of her early SwitchMed incubation, Dr. Lina Al-Kurdi has successfully scaled Lina Energy into a multi-regional enterprise with operations spanning its headquarters in Bulgaria, a regional base in Amman, and hubs in China and Canada.

Today, the company’s portfolio has expanded well beyond green microclimates to meet the demands of the modern energy transition—delivering high-efficiency solar modules, LFP battery storage systems, and comprehensive EPC infrastructure. Lina Energy stands as proof that a grassroots spark for urban sustainability can mature into a far-reaching driver of the global green economy.

Learn more about Lina Energy through their website and Facebook page.

Photos: Courtesy of Lina Energy.