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Green Building & Where Rainwater Capture Fits In Pam Daniel pamdaniel@ebby.com Realtor, GREEN Certified EcoBroker ® Accredited Rainwater Harvesting Professional, ARCSA President, Rainwater Harvesting Solutions, Inc. Green Philosophy Core Principles of Green
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Green Building & Where Rainwater Capture Fits In • Pam Daniel • pamdaniel@ebby.com • Realtor, GREEN • Certified EcoBroker® • Accredited Rainwater Harvesting Professional, ARCSA • President, Rainwater Harvesting Solutions, Inc.
Green Philosophy Core Principles of Green Practicing Social Responsibility Promoting Sustainability Practicing Resource Efficiency and Conservation Enhancing Health and Well Being
Sustainability • Sustainability defined by the United Nations – “The ability to satisfy the basic needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs” • There are many definitions of sustainability, but simply put, the goal is to benefit the environment and improve the prosperity of people, a delicate balance.
Sustainable Communities • Length of average commute to work • Air quality • Surface water runoff • Greenhouse gas emissions • Road congestion • Housing affordability • Local food & agriculture available • Land devoted to parks & greenways • Car pooling/car sharing initiatives • Public transportation • City sustainability departments and development plans www.sustainline.com Rated Dallas 24 out of 50 Austin 13 Ft Worth 39 Houston 36
U.S. is the World’s Largest Emitter, Producing ¼ of Global Greenhouse Gases, with only 5% of the Global Population • US = 25.1 barrel oil per person • China = 2.1 barrel per person • Houses Pollute twice as much in Greenhouse Gases as the Average Car (U.S. EPA)
Water quality and conservation must be considered. "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water."Benjamin Franklin
What is Green Building? Green building utilizes a system based or whole house approach in order to build a energy efficient home. Healthier, improved indoor air quality Resource efficient Water conserving Comfortable and quite More durable with less maintenance Improved market value Lower environmental impact Lower utility bills Promotes Sustainability
Green Programs & Evaluation Standards • National Programs • U.S. EPA & U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Star Program • National Association Home Builders – National Green Building Program • U.S Green Building Council - LEED • Regional/State Programs • Austin Green Building Program • Built San Antino Green • Green Built North Texas
LEED Green Building Water Efficiency (WE) Pathway through the WE Category – A minimum of 3 points must be achieved in the WE category.
LEED Green Building Water Efficiency (WE) • WE 1: Water Reuse Maximum Points: 5 • Intent – Use municipal recycled water, or offset central water supply through the capture and controlled reuse of rainwater and/or graywater. • 1.1 Rainwater Harvesting Systems • Maximum 4 points, as specified in Table 10 • 1.2 Graywater Reuse System • Maximum 1 point • 1.3 Use of Municipal Recycled Water System • Maximum 3 points
LEED Green Building Water Efficiency (WE) WE 1: Water Reuse Maximum Points: 5 Design and install a rainwater harvesting and storage system (including surface runoff and/or roof runoff) for landscape irrigation use or indoor water use. The storage system must be sized to hold all the water from a 1-inch rainfall event (equivalent to 0.62 gallons per square foot of roof area used for capture), taking into consideration the size of the harvest systems (i.e., 50% or 75% of total roof area, depending on the measure chosen from Table 10).
LEED Green Building Water Efficiency (WE) Table 10: Rainwater Harvesting
National Association Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Program NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines National Green Building Standard
NAHB National Green Building Program Measured Categories Lot Design, Preparation, and Development Resource Efficiency Energy Efficiency Water Efficiency Indoor Environmental Quality Operation, Maintenance, Homeowners Education Global Impact Site Planning and Land Development
NAHB Green Building Program NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines Water Efficiency 4.1 Indoor/Outdoor Water Use 9 Points 4.1.10 Collect rainwater as permitted by local code (Additional credit for distribution system that uses a renewable energy source or gravity). Intent: Reduce water needs for irrigation by collecting and using rainwater. Rainwater collection systems store rainwater for future watering and irrigation needs. Collecting rainwater keeps rainwater onsite, thus lowering the impact on storm water collection and conveyance systems and helping to replenish aquifers.
NAHB Green Building Program NAHB Green Guidelines Water Efficiency See Resources for information about how to construct a rainwater harvesting system and related code issues. May type of rainwater collection systems are also available commercially. Resources: PATH Technology Inventory, Rainwater Harvesting www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?TrackID=&CategoryID=1315&DocumentID=2129 Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/water/az1052/harvest.htlm Garden Supply Houses
Austin Energy Green Building Program rates homes on five levels indicated by stars, one star is the entry level, five stars is the highest level green level. Section 11: Site work and Landscaping Rainwater Harvesting: 110-600 gal storage = 2 pts OR Rainwater Harvesting: 601-2000 gal storage = 3 pts OR Rainwater Harvesting: >2001 gal storage = 4 pts Rainwater is sole source of indoor water = 3 pts References: www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/ www.twdb.state.tx.us/assistance/conservation/Alternative
Build San Antonio Green Guidelines for Level 1 Certification Water Conservation is employed indoors and out, with measures ranging from low flow showerheads and water saving washers to xeriscaping and rainwater catchment. Seven minimum standards including: If installing gutters, downspouts must drain onto a pervious surface (turf or landscaping) or into a rainwater harvesting cistern.
Green Built North Texas Select any two (2) of the following water conservation strategies or install rainwater catchment system to provide for a minimum of 50% of landscape irrigation needs: Strategy #1: Install an ENERGY STAR dishwasher. Strategy #2: Select high performance fixtures. Strategy #3: Zone irrigation system separately for turf and slab/bedding areas. Strategy #4: Install a low-volume, non-spray irrigation system.
Remodeling & Retrofitting • American Housing Survey 2005 based on census data found median age of the total U.S. housing stock is >30 years old • Sustainability goals present certain challenges • However, there are many areas that can be addressed to improve energy efficiency of existing homes from insulation to landscaping.
REGREEN Program • USGBC and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) partnered to create REGREEN. • Water Efficiency • Provide Rainwater Collection System • “Capturing rainwater from the roof for landscape irrigation makes a great deal of sense where water is or may become limited. A very simple rainwater harvesting system consists of a rain barrel…..more sophisticated rainwater harvesting system can provide water indoors.” • References: • www.harvesth2o.com
U.S. EPA Program - WaterSense WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the EPA, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Products that meet WaterSense criteria for water efficiency and performance carry a special label. Partnering with manufactures, retailers, state & local governments, utilities, water districts and irrigation professionals to bring water-efficient products to market and spread the word about the need for smart water use. Educational Materials WaterSense Awards
Water Conservation • Take shorter showers and use a low flow shower head. • Only run washers and dishwashers when full. • Never leave water running. • Mulch trees & plants to retain moisture & prevent evaporation. • Use effective sprinkler heads or better yet use drip irrigation. • Use native plants and plant trees! • Harvest rainwater and use wise watering techniques. • Do not over water! • Be aware of water leaks and fix them.