ated with plumbing systems in residential buildings—pipe and fitting selection, fixture selection, and hot water production, and dis- tribution. However, this information is really just a drop in the pond, and there are a ton of bright folks out there who have produced volumes of informational and educational material intended to help you best design your plumbing systems.
Theory and Practice Energy use is both quantifiable and signifi- cant in the sustainability picture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that at least 3% of our electric energy use is associated with simply moving and processing drinking water and providing wastewater utilities. That’s approximately 56 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) or the equiva- lent of 45 million tons of greenhouse gas per
to 40%) can be realized by improving the de- sign of plumbing systems. These savings are easily attainable, and simply involve some preplanning and deliberate design tech- niques. Beyond energy and water savings, there are also measurable benefits of careful design and installation of plumbing systems, including: > Environmental impact, when considering alternative water sources and treatment systems.
> Building durability, when selecting pipe and fitting materials, and fixtures.
> Occupant health, when evaluating hot water sources and supply line materials, and secondary plumbing systems, such as radon mitigation and central vacuum systems.
> Occupant safety, when considering resi- dential sprinkler systems.
> Convenience and ease of use. “Customers want service, provided ef-
ficiently,” says Gary Klein, a well-known expert in hot water system efficiency and managing partner of Affiliated International Management. The first concern of an oc- cupant is getting water when they want it, at the temperature and volume they want. Second, they want to know it’s delivered ef- ficiently. If you can’t meet the end use needs of the customer, it simply doesn’t matter how great the parts of your system are when evaluated individually.
year. At least 20% of all energy consumed in homes is used to heat water. This percent- age continues to grow as other areas of the home like space conditioning become more efficient.
The second most important issue to address in plumbing systems is water use. As increasing populations create greater demand for fresh water, the existing supply isn’t able to keep up. The World Bank reports that more than 80 countries now have major health and economic issues due to water shortages, and studies show that at least 36 U.S. states are going to suffer major water shortages within the next five years. Significant water and energy savings (up
Pipe and Fittings Material Selection When evaluating pipes and fittings, material selection is critical for a variety of reasons, including durability, embodied energy, and the overall carbon footprint in product man- ufacturing. Water quality can also be affected by the materials, so the health and welfare of the occupants is also a concern. While there are a variety of materials available, and each has pros and cons, it’s difficult to find a comprehensive, comparative life-cycle analysis of plumbing materials that would allow for an apples-to-apples comparison. Ultimately though, newer, lighter, and more efficiently produced materials will carry less of an energy and environmental burden than heavier, more manufacturing-intensive materials. However, corrosion resistance and leaching are a concern in some products.
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GreenBuilder October 2010
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