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Phoebus Energy. The Hybrid Revolution is Here! Transform existing commercial water heaters into a hybrid water heating system which saves 40-70% of annual fuel consumption and reduces carbon emissions by 80-90%.
Green plumbing is the most energy efficient plumbing system that also provides for water conservation. Green products associated with plumbing systems are hot water demand systems and tankless water heaters.
Green plumbing products, energy efficiency, and water conservation
Green plumbing is plumbing designed to be the most energy efficient and at the same time conserve the most water. This boils down to the hot water plumbing since the cold water side does not consume, lose, or waste energy or water. Typical products associated with such plumbing systems are tankless water heaters and hot water demand systems.
Hot water plumbing systems
The hot water plumbing is another story. The pipes end up full of hot water after each use, then cooling off, wasting a huge amount of energy. Then the cooled off hot water in the pipes from the previous use must be purged in order to obtain hot water at the fixture the next time it’s used. This is not a good way to provide water conservation.
If the water heater is located a long way from the point of use, the water temperature will be lower at the fixture than at the outlet of the tank due to the heat energy lost along the length of the pipe.
Having identified the factors involved in efficient plumbing systems; water wastage and energy loss from the distribution piping, we can try to find ways to make the plumbing system more efficient.
Pipe Insulation
Insulating the hot water piping contributes to efficient plumbing. Since while you wait for the hot water to arrive, you are wastefully running water down the drain, minimizing the wait for hot water will minimize the amount of water being wasted.
Part of the delay in the arrival of hot water is due to the fact that the piping material absorbs the heat from the water as it travels through the pipe, so when the hot water arrives it has already cooled off and you have to wait a little longer. The longer the piping run is the worse the problem becomes.
By insulating the pipes, they do not get as cold and thus they absorb less heat from the hot water traveling to the fixture. Your hot water reaches you faster and you run less water down the drain. Insulating your pipes contributes to water conservation.
The temperature drop long the pipe on those long runs is less due to the insulation, resulting in more energy efficiency.
Point-of-use tankless water heaters
Tankless water heaters are seen as green products these days, but you have to be careful about opting for tankless. Due to the capacity limitations and temperature rise limitations on tankless heaters, they generally best used as point of use water heaters. In other words they would be located at the fixture or fixtures where the hot water is to be used.
Point of use water heaters eliminate that long pipe run, virtually eliminating the energy and water wastage attributable to the distribution piping.
Hot water demand systems
If point-of-use water heating is not feasible with your plumbing layout, then consider a hot water demand pumping system. A hot water demand system is a pumping system similar to a standard hot water circulating system, except the pump only comes on when you demand hot water by pressing a button.
Pressing the button causes a small pump mounted under the fixture furthest from the water heater to begin pumping the hot water from the water heater to the fixture at high speed, turning off when it detects the arrival of hot water.
Then when you turn on the fixture you have instant hot water and no water was run down the drain. Demand systems only consume about $1 to $2 per year in electricity to run. Some models are under $200 retail, and are very easy to install, they hook up with hoses. They save you time, water, and money.
Plumbing products and a green plumbing layouts
Make your plumbing system green, add insulation if possible, and use plumbing products like point-of-use water heaters, and use a hot water demand systems if you can’t use a point of use tankless water heater.
If you have long pipe runs, loop your hot water piping from fixture to fixture and install a demand system at the end of the line.
Save time, water, energy and money! Green Demand Hot Water Systems Explored and Compared: Save Water and Energy!
For more information about green tankless water heaters: Green Tankless Water Heaters Tankless and tank type water heater information.
This is a demonstration project for a wind turbine that has been fully manufactured in Kabul, Afghanistan by colleagues working with RESAP (Renewable Energy Sources for Afghanistan Project), a project of IAM (International Assistance Mission). The blade rotor spans 4 meters and has a peak power output of around 3kW. Two schemes can be set up with this wind turbine. It can be used to charge a 48v bank of batteries. This demonstration, though, is using the power output from the wind turbine to directly power a 1.5kW water pump. The pump has been installed 100m down in the well, though the water level may be estimated at around 60m. The village, about 45min north of Kabul, is called Barikab. It is a refugee resettlement site of approximately 400 homes. RESAP is hoping towind powerinterest in using wind power from Afghan made wind turbines to help electrify rural villages and pump water for agricultural and other needs. Along with that, RESAP wants to encourage the establishment of an Afghan wind turbine industry. This pilot project is being funded by UNHCR and SOZO. If you are interested in supporting the work that RESAP does, or are interested in purchasing a wind turbine system then please contact Carl Larson: cslarson (at) gmail.com
Iron Man Windmills are used to provide water for agricultural and village water supply in China. These large and powerful windmills start pumping in very low wind speeds of 3 to 5mph, as are commonly found across China. They are being used to lift water 500M, but have the power to pump to much higher elevations if needed. Iron man windmills are being used to pump water to a village 17km from the source and can operate the largest windmill pumps made — 1M in diameter. These proven, time-tested windmills are frequently installed at rural locations far beyond the ends of roads and can be completely erected without the use of cranes or any other special tools or machinery. Iron Man Windmills use cost effective, proven technology for providing an abundant water supply with innovative pumping technology developed and manufactured exclusively by Iron Man Windmill Co. Our advanced pumping technology provides a balanced pumping load allowing operation in extremely low wind speeds, while providing abundant water. Iron Man Windmills can pump from any source, including wells of any diameter and to extreme depths, lakes, ponds, rivers, tanks, canals and any other source of water. The water pumped is used for agricultural and domestic water supply in rural communities where skilled workers and access to support equipment, such as cranes, rarely exists. Iron Man Windmills require virtually no maintenance other than a change of gearbox oil annually. They use no electricity, fuel oil or …
We all know what it is like to get hunkered down in the house when there is a strong storm coming, but not everyone has had the pleasure of experiencing what it is like to evacuate our house in a hurricane or tropical storm warning. The past few years some of our coastal communities have really had more than their fair share of this kind of terrible weather where not only the strong wind comes calling, but the water has made its way in as well.
When a home is hit doubly hard because of wind and water damage, it can take twice as long to get the damage repaired and get a home up and running again. The cost can be astronomical when the damage is severe and when a home owner is caught without insurance or just had no flood coverage it can ruin them financially trying to save their house. Most people do carry coverage that takes care of most things, but flood coverage that pays for natural disaster flooding usually has to be purchased separately.
Depending on how much and what kind of destruction a home has done to it, there might be many things that a home owner can do themselves to get the ball rolling. The more of the renovating and repairing they can do, the less the insurance company will have to pay to have done for them. Things like removing their own belongings or tearing out the damaged things are shores that have to be done, but might not require any special training or equipment. It is essential that a home be inspected when there has been damage to first make sure that it is safe to go into before anyone starts doing anything.
Once it has been determined that you can go in and begin working, the first thing to do is of course, make sure there is no power or water on, which there probably will not be, but you need to be positive. The inspector can probably determine this for you beforehand. Then you can begin dragging out damaged items. If there is an upstairs that has not been damaged, items with no damage might be put there. You might need a dumpster or trailer to put the damaged items you will be throwing away on. Keep recycling in mind whenever you can.
Before you rip out your carpets or hardwood floors, you probably should consult a water damage professional to be sure they can not be salvaged first. When you have been flooded because of a plumbing break this is often a possibility, but if a natural disaster flood is the cause of your damage, these floors could be extremely contaminated and will likely need to be replaced. Removing the damaged items and taking care of your own personal belongings is a couple of ways that you might save some money doing these things your self.
Aydan Corkern is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like
denver water damage restoration and new york water damage restoration.
”www.ibm.com IBM can help build a smarter city by using a smart grid and smart sensors for water conservation and energy efficiency.”
In this article I will cover energy efficient water heaters. We will not talk about the energy efficient tankless water heaters because they are covered in detail in a previous article. Go to our web site to see it.
Energy efficiency is a hot topic right now and new technologies are being introduced everyday. We recommend that you do not wait until you need a new water heater to do your research. You may find yourself buying what ever is available, instead of what is best! This is not a good plan since your hot water heater is the biggest waste of your energy costs. So do your research now, and double check it just when you are ready to purchase.
Consumers have a tendency to purchase their heater based on size. Actually the First Hour Rating (FHR) is more important to consider. The FHR represents the amount of hot water that the unit will deliver during a busy hour. Estimate your family’s usage during the peak hour usage and find a unit with a FHR that will cover it.
The most energy efficient water heaters are generally gas fired. Electric resistance is an expensive way to generate heat and not as environmentally friendly. Before you make the final decision, check with your utility company to see if they have any incentives that may make electricity more attractive.
Besides the standard gas and electric energy efficient water heaters there is the indirect water heater. This type is only for consumers who have a boiler. It uses your boiler as its heat source. This type of system eliminates a lot of the heat loss through the flue, as associated with the gas fired heaters.
The next type is a heat pump water heater or desuperheater. With this type the electric is used to move the heat from one place to another instead of actually creating it. The heat source comes from the heat in the outside air or the area where the unit is located. This type is not very common and harder to find.
Solar water heaters use the sun to heat your water. They are very expensive and hard to calculate the cost because there are so many factors that affect it. These would include the amount of sun, where you live, which way your roof is facing and the amount of hot water that you use. If everything is right though they offer a virtually cost free hot water from a renewable energy. Seems like solar power was hot, then cold and now it seems to be making a comeback. There seem to be many opinions out there for and against solar power. The drawback is that you must have some type of backup system for when there is no sun.
So the bottom line is that this is a very big decision. Make sure that you use every available resource to do your research before you spend your hard earned money. If you make a mistake, you will be paying for it for a long time!
Bob Willoughby is the publisher of
http://EnergyEfficientHomeTips.net.
There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient and save yourself
some money at the same time. Visit the web site to learn more about
Energy Efficient Water Heaters
IBM has unveiled a novel membrane technology that stands to alleviate the growing shortage of drinkable water worldwide. Scientists at IBM Research, together with collaborators from Central Glass, the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, and the University of Texas, Austin have created a new membrane that filters out salts as well as potentially harmful toxins in water such as arsenic while using less energy than other forms of water purification. Today, one in five people lacks access to drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, arsenic-contaminated water has been a major health concern worldwide since the 1990s. Arsenic toxicity is cumulative; studies in countries where the population has had long-term exposure to arsenic-contaminated water show that one in 10 people who drink the water may ultimately die from cancers known to be caused by arsenic, including lung, bladder and skin cancer. Membrane filtration is currently one of the most energy efficient techniques for removing salt and improving water quality. But, conventional membranes used today are easily damaged by chlorine, which is commonly added to water to prevent bacterial growth that can cause health problems. Now, the collaborative research team has designed a new concept in membrane materials that combines resistance to chlorine damage and high performance separation behavior in mildly basic conditions, making it suitable for arsenic removal in addition to water desalination …
Seems like there are many reasons for liking energy efficient tankless hot water heaters! I will review the pros and cons, but you will have to make the final decision as to whether or not they’re for you.
Mostly they have a longer life expectancy, save money, save energy, take less space, and have an endless supply of hot water.
First there is the life expectancy. Make sure that you consider this when you’re doing your calculations. The life span for a regular hot water tank type heater will probably be in the 10 – 12 year range. Of course there are factors that will change that, such as the quality of your water. The life expectancy of a energy efficient tankless water heater will be closer to the 20 year range. And I did find some with a limited lifetime warranty.
There seem to be a lot of numbers floating around as to the amount of savings. The energy efficient tankless water heater could be as much as 40% more energy efficient, depending on who you believe and your personal use habits. The standard water heater keeps water at a constant temperature and is forever reheating the water. The tankless, also known as “on demand” type of water heater only heats water when it is needed. Consider the savings if you went on vacation or even if you did not normally use hot water for many hours.
The space savings is an additional benefit. Because they’re mounted on the wall, they do not use any floor space, plus they can be mounted closer to where the hot water is needed. This gives you a lot more flexibility when choosing a location. You may also want to consider having more than just one. For example, if you had a far away area with minimal use, you could use a smaller unit. This would take some of the burden off of the main unit, and put the water closer to where it is needed.
The endless supply of hot water is a big benefit for larger families. There’s nothing worse than being the person in the shower when the hot water runs out! And naturally it seems like forever before there’s hot water again.
There may also be a federal tax credit of $300. The unit would have to have an efficiency rating of .80 minimum to qualify. All units will not qualify.
You can also check to find out if you are eligible for any state or local incentives or rebates. Go to www.dsireusa.org to find out.
This sounds great. But are there any drawbacks?
First there is your ground water temperature. If your ground water is very cold, because you live in the north, it may take a much bigger unit to do the job. The colder water restricts the flow rate.
Some water heaters need a large venting system. This may make it hard to deal with if you are installing in a preexisting home or business. They are better suited to new construction.
There have been complaints of the time it takes to get hot water to the point of use. I am not sure about your situation, but the only way that I get instant hot water is if it has been used very recently. So I have to wait anyway.
This may not be a do it yourself job. Some water heaters will require licensed installers to keep the warranty in tact.
Only you can decide if energy efficient tankless water heaters are best for you. You should contact an installer. He should have a lot of questions about your use, location, ground water temperature, and what you are paying now. He should be able to go over his calculations with you and show you how he arrived at his conclusions.
Just remember that they are trying to sell units. Be sure that you are satisfied with the company and the numbers. It would probably be better for you if they sold both types. That way you could see the difference between a newer conventional water heater and the new energy efficient tankless water heaters!
Bob Willoughby is the publisher of
http://EnergyEfficientHomeTips.net.
There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient and save yourself
some money at the same time. Visit the web site to learn more about
Energy Efficient Tankless Water Heaters