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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
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Downshifting: Rainwater harvesting and hydroelectric

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1 to 17 of 17

  1.  
    • CommentAuthorLdriver
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2010
     
    Hello,
    I'm new to this forum, long time peeper though. I'm building at the moment and am considering rainwater harvesting to be collected in an underground tank and then pumped back upstairs to a tank serving cisterns and washing machine. Could some form of small hydroelect generator be connected inline as underground tank fills and it's output sent to the smartmeter to offset the cost of pumping it upstairs?
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2010
     
    hi Ldriver,

    1st bit sounds fine - although I'd go for the easy stuff like insulation and draught-proofing before rainwater harvesting.

    The hydroelectric generator bit doesn't seem very viable though:

    The amount of energy you could gather as the rainwater falls from the gutter to the tank would be tiny.
    i.e. 1000L of water falling 10m would give you a maximum of 0.03kwh of energy (or 0.3 pence of electricity).
    • CommentAuthorLdriver
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2010
     
    Thanks jms,
    As I thought, too good to be true. Going big on the fabric alright.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2010
     
    May be a bit late as your already building but could you not have designed in some water storage higher than the cistern but lower than the gutter. Gravity could have done its work then.
    • CommentAuthorLdriver
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2010
     
    SteamyTea,
    Bit late:shamed: Good idea.
    • CommentAuthorJonti
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2010
     
    LDriver,

    you could put in a header tank big enough for a couple of loads in the washing machine and/or the cistern and use a hand pump to get the water there. Very green and good fitness too:bigsmile:

    Jonti
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 19th 2010
     
    Food is not necessarily a cheap or green or low-carbon fuel! B^>

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthorJonti
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: DamonHD</cite>Food is not necessarily a cheap or green or low-carbon fuel! B^>

    Rgds

    Damon</blockquote>

    I guess you do not eat then:wink:
    • CommentAuthorfinny
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    Hmm.. those figures from Jms looking good to me. We are in Mid Wales tucked under Cadair Idris, reckon I could be a net supplier some days!
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    I don't eat extra to displace work that could be done by electricity for example.

    Rgds

    Damon
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010 edited
     
    Posted By: DamonHDI don't eat extra to displace work that could be done by electricity for example

    I don't work extra, just replace the time with something more interesting
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    In this forum we obey the laws of thermodynamics...

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthorJonti
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    Ah Damon,

    in these times of austerity maybe a personal energy review would lead you to be able to increase your physical output whilst reducing your nutritional input :bigsmile:

    Jonti
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    Jonti
    Nutrition and Energy are not the same thing, why we have scurvy and rickets in the UK and obesity. :confused:
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 20th 2010
     
    I'd like to go on record as not having scurvy or rickets, and my middle-age spread is keeping just the right side of obesity I hope! %-P

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthorwastetech
    • CommentTimeDec 22nd 2010
     
    Several states in India, including Bangalore have made rainwater harvesting compulsary for many new building and existing ones over a certain size, in an effort to address the water shortage problem. It is a planning permission requirement. I can see it happening here too.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeDec 22nd 2010
     
    Isn't it already part of Code for Sustainable Homes?

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