#Rainwater Harvesting Systems Ireland

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How To Identify The Perfect Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Rainwater harvesting systems offer effective solutions that address water supply and stormwater runoff problems. Ireland has a beautiful landscape and plenty of rainfall. To harness this natural resource, rainwater harvesting system installations are gaining momentum in the country. 

Depending on the target and catchment area one may choose from various systems. While these can be simple and affordable, certain design standards are essential for their effectiveness. 

Let’s explore some of the paramount factors that need consideration when planning a system.

Protecting Water Quality Before Storage

There is a common misconception that rainwater is natural and doesn’t require consideration of its quality while storage in a rainwater harvesting system. Several people also assume that chlorine post-storage disinfection can address potential water quality issues. However, both assumptions are incorrect.

To protect the quality of harvested rainwater, it is crucial to ensure the cleanliness of the roof and gutters. Overhanging vegetation should be kept clear, and gutters should be regularly cleaned. Another essential step is the inclusion of pre-tank filters  that prevent leaves and other debris from entering the storage tank. An effective rainwater filter should block material larger than beach sand and prevent water from washing over or filtering through debris to enter the tank. It should also accommodate large rainfall events and include an overflow pipe of sufficient size to prevent water backup into downspouts or other piping near the building’s foundation.

Estimating Potential Use

Evaluating demand and use of rainwater supply is important. If the demand is high, smaller systems may not adequately meet the needs of users. Conversely, there may be a surplus. 

Appropriate Sizing for Collection Area

A well-designed rainwater harvesting system must match the available water supply, which is dependent on the roof size, local rainfall patterns, water demand, and storage tank capacity. Generally, a storage tank should be designed to store all the water runoff generated during a single significant rainstorm, typically ranging from 1 to 2 inches of rain. The amount of rainfall that you can collect is governed by the following formula:

1″ of rain x 1 sq. ft. = 0.623 gallons. At Rainwater Harvesting Systems Ireland, we have unrivalled experience in harvesting systems and solutions that bring clean water to you for your needs. You can rely on us for professional water pump repair, sales, plumbing and maintenance.  Call us today   know the ideal system for your requirements. 

Safe and Easy Water Usage

To ensure safe water usage, harvested rainwater should be treated appropriately. If the rainwater will be used indoors, it should be disinfected with chlorine, ultraviolet light, or a similar method. The rainwater harvesting system should also provide sufficient volume and pressure for the intended use. While gravity flow might be adequate for small-scale gardening, most systems will require appropriately sized pumps. It is important to ensure that the pump will not operate when the storage tank lacks sufficient water, as running a pump without water flow can damage it. It is crucial to design rainwater harvesting systems to be user-friendly, as their effectiveness relies on regular utilization.

Minimal and Infrequent Maintenance

Complicated and demanding maintenance requirements often result in neglect and subsequent issues with the rainwater harvesting system. Each property owner’s willingness to perform maintenance tasks may vary. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider the expected maintenance level and compare it with the system’s requirements. If the system demands more maintenance than the owner is willing or able to provide, it can be concluded that the rainwater harvesting system is not well-designed for that specific user. Ease of access to all components requiring maintenance should be a primary consideration.

Site-Specific Design Considerations

For aboveground storage tanks, it is important to consider the likelihood of freezing temperatures and the system’s functionality under such circumstances. In freezing climates, options include draining the system for winter or burying pumps and small diameter piping below the frost line, adequately wrapping them in heat trace tape, or housing them in climate-controlled enclosures. An underground tank should be appropriately designed to support any potential vehicle load on top. Tanks should be installed in a way that prevents surface water from entering and potentially floating the tank. For aboveground tanks, level, compacted ground with a concrete or gravel base is recommended for installation.

Mosquito Prevention

Designing the storage tank to keep mosquitoes out is crucial. All inlets and outlets should be properly sealed or screened. Additionally, checking for any gaps around pipes is important to ensure effective mosquito prevention.

Preventing Improper Cross-Connection

Many rainwater harvesting systems include a backup water supply, often sourced from municipal water. To prevent cross-contamination, improper connections that allow harvested rainwater to backflow into the municipal water system must be avoided. Any connection between a rainwater harvesting system and other water supply systems should incorporate appropriate backflow prevention devices, such as air gaps or reduced pressure zone backflow prevention devices.

Remember to adjust and modify this information as needed, ensuring it fits the desired length and tone of your publication.

The budget

When selecting a rainwater harvesting system for your property in Ireland, budget is a key consideration. Investing in a rainwater harvesting system for an average-sized home involves various equipment costs that should be carefully evaluated.

In addition to the basic water-butt system, which offers a cost-effective option, more elaborate rainwater harvesting systems are also available. These systems may include advanced features for increased efficiency and water storage capacity.

By comparing the budget requirements of different rainwater harvesting systems, including simple and more elaborate options, we can assist you in deciding on the most suitable system for your property in Ireland.

[obrienwaterservices-blog]

O’Brien Water Services is one of the most premium rainwater harvesting systems providers in Cork, Ireland. Call them to get the services.

[goldiers1]

Amazon AWS Pledges to Return More Water Than It Uses by 2030.

  Today at AWS announced it will be water positive (water+) by 2030, returning more water to communities than it uses in its direct operations. The company also announced its 2021 global water use efficiency (WUE) metric of 0.25 liters of water per kilowatt-hour, demonstrating AWS’s leadership in water efficiency among cloud providers. AWS is already well on the path to becoming water+ and as part of this new commitment will report annually on its WUE metric, new water reuse and recycling efforts, new activities to reduce water consumption in its facilities, and advancements in new and existing replenishment projects. Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS said, “Water scarcity is a major issue around the world and with today’s water positive announcement we are committing to do our part to help solve this rapidly growing challenge,” He further added, “In just a few years half of the world’s population is projected to live in water-stressed areas, so to ensure all people have access to water, we all need to innovate new ways to help conserve and reuse this precious resource. While we are proud of the progress we have made, we know there is more we can do. We are committed to leading on water stewardship in our cloud operations, and returning more water than we use in the communities where we operate. We know this is the right thing to do for the environment and our customers.” AWS has been driving four key strategies in pursuit of becoming water+ by 2030: improving water efficiency, using sustainable water sources, returning water for community reuse, and supporting water replenishment projects.  

Water efficiency.

AWS is constantly innovating across its infrastructure to reduce water consumption. It achieves its industry-leading water efficiency by using advanced cloud services, such as Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, to analyze real-time water use and identify and fix leaks. AWS further improves operational efficiency by eliminating cooling water use in many of its facilities for most of the year, instead relying on outside air. For example, in Ireland and Sweden, AWS uses no water to cool its data centers for 95% of the year. AWS also invests in on-site water-treatment systems that allow it to reuse water multiple times, minimizing water consumed for cooling.  

Sustainable sources.

AWS uses sustainable water sources, such as recycled water and rainwater harvesting, wherever possible. Using recycled water, which is only suitable for a limited set of applications such as irrigation and industrial use, preserves valuable drinking water for communities. In Northern Virginia, AWS worked with Loudoun Water to become the first data center operator in the state approved to use recycled water in direct evaporative cooling systems. AWS already uses recycled water for cooling in 20 data centers around the world and has plans to expand recycled water use in more facilities as it works toward becoming water+.  

Community water reuse.

After maximizing the use of water in its data centers, the spent liquid is still safe for many other uses, and AWS is finding more ways to return it to communities. In Oregon, AWS provides up to 96% of the cooling water from its data centers to local farmers at no charge for use in irrigating crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat.  

Water replenishment.

To meet its water+ commitment, AWS is investing in water replenishment projects in the communities where it operates. Replenishment projects expand water access, availability, and quality by restoring watersheds and bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to water-stressed communities. To date, AWS has completed replenishment projects in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, providing 1.6 billion liters of freshwater each year to people in those communities. For example, in regions like Maharashtra and Hyderabad, India, and West Java, Indonesia, AWS is partnering with global clean water nonprofit Water.org to provide 250,000 people with access to safe water and sanitation. Building on its existing portfolio of water replenishment programs, AWS today announced several new projects, which, once completed, will provide more than 823 million liters of water to communities each year, including: - India: AWS is providing continued support to WaterAid to complete projects in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh after they were launched in March 2022. Since then, WaterAid has already completed five piped water systems and new groundwater recharge projects, which will supply 500 households–approximately 2,100 people–with an estimated 47 million liters of water per year. WaterAid also conducted education campaigns on water conservation in these communities to educate residents on practical ways they can conserve clean water, use rainwater harvesting, and conduct water audits.   - UK: AWS is working with The Rivers Trust and Action for the River Kennet to create two wetlands on a tributary of the River Thames, one of the most important water catchment areas in the UK. The wetlands will recharge over 587 million liters of groundwater per year and improve water quality by receiving and treating polluted runoff from farms and roadways, addressing growing water scarcity and boosting water quality in the Thames River basin.   - US (California): Beginning this winter,AWS, the conservation non-profit Freshwater Trust, and the Omochumne-Hartnell Water District will recharge 189 million liters of groundwater per year using winter water from the Cosumnes River. This will allow water to gradually flow through the groundwater table and back into the Sacramento and San Joaquin watershed, increasing water flows during drier summer months. This lowers the temperature of the river, improves salmon habitat, and increases summer flows into the San Francisco Bay Delta, a critical water supply source for the communities in the region.   Today’s announcement adds to Amazon’s commitment of $10 million to Water.org to support the launch of the Water & Climate Fund, which will deliver climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions to 100 million people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This donation will directly empower 1 million people with water access by 2025, providing 3 billion liters of water each year to people in water scarce areas. Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org said, “Our work with Amazon is supported by the shared belief that solving the global water crisis is possible. We commend AWS for committing to return more water than it uses by announcing Water+ by 2030,”   Gary White, Water.org CEO and co-founder, added, “Our collaboration with Amazon and AWS already brings over 805 million liters of safe water to communities around the world every year, and we are excited to continue to work with Amazon to bring even more safe water to families in need.”   Patricia Sinicropi, executive director of WateReuse Association said, “WateReuse Association celebrates AWS’s commitment to go water positive by 2030, and for integrating water recycling as a key component in its goal to protect water resources, local ecosystems, and spur economic development,” “The progress AWS has made in using recycled water for cooling in 20 of their data centers already shows great leadership for the industry. We look forward to collaborating with Amazon to implement water reuse for the benefit of their operations and for the communities in which they operate.”   AWS will report annually on new innovations in water efficiency, community reuse, water replenishment projects, and other activities on its path to achieving its water+ commitment. A full overview of how AWS will meet water+ by 2030 is in the methodology, available here: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/water More information on AWS Water+ can also be found on at Amazon’s Water Stewardship in Data Centers: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/water  

About Amazon Web Services.

For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offering. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any cloud workload, and it now has more than 200 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), etc. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs.  

About Amazon.

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.   Sources: THX News & Amazon. Read the full article

[wastewatertreatments]

TOP 5 COMPANIES IN WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET

Water is our most precious resource and access to it, is a basic human right. However, declining water quality has become a global concern. It can directly influence the cost of providing water by utilities, reduce the volume of water available for use, and indirectly affect human health. Water pollution mostly occurs as a result of agriculture run-off, domestic sewage, and industrial effluents.

Here are the top 5 water and wastewater treatment companies –

1. Suez Environment S.A. (France)  -  Suez Environnement S.A. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Paris, France. The company provides water management, recycling and waste recovery, water treatment, and consulting services. It operates in four business segments, namely Water Europe, Recycling and Recovery Europe, International, and Other segments.

2. Xylem, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Rye Brook, U.S.; The Company is engaged in the design, manufacture, and service of engineered solutions for the water and wastewater applications. It operates through three business segments, namely Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, and Sensus.

3.  Kingspan Environmental Ltd. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Co. Armagh Portadown, Northern Ireland, U.K. The company is engaged in insulated panel systems, insulation, architectural facade systems, controlled environments, ductwork, wastewater management, and access floors. It offers plastic tanks for harvesting rainwater, off-mains drainage systems, and fuel storage; and fuel storage and dispensing, potable water storage, cold water chemical storage, and water treatment tanks.

4. Membracon UK -  Based In Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Membracon was established in 2002 as the head office for the United Kingdom to supply the electropainting industry with membrane technology. The company offers  ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, clean water treatment, effluent treatment, filtration and tectron tubular anodes. Membracon are suppliers and designers to Automotive, Aerospace, Defence, Food & Beverage, Pharmacutical and other major industry sectors. 5. United Utilities Group PLC was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Warrington, U.K. The company provides water and wastewater services in the North West of England.

[jeromer-spatialdesign]

BOOKS AND ARTICLES

Theory in Landscape Architecture 

“The Art of Site Planning” (Kevin Lynch and Gary Hack) 1984

8 Stages of Site Planning

Defining the problem 

Programming and the analysis of the site and user

Schematic Design and Detailed Costing

Developed Design and the Preliminary cost estimate 

Contract Documents 

Bidding and Contracting 

Construction 

Occupation and Management 

“Our physical setting determines the quality of our lives” 

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“An ecological method (1974) Ian McHarg 

Ecology Offers emancipation to landscape architecture 

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“Community Design” 1974 Randolph Hester Jr.

Policies to make design profession more responsible for social sustainability of the neighbourhood environments 

To clarify to whom the designer is responsible 

To guarantee the input of users values 

To eliminate proffesional ethics 

To provide for socially suitable neighbourhood environments 

To guarantee increased users involvement throughout the neighbourhood

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Operative Landscapes: Building Communities through public space 

Alissa North 

2013 

_Contemporary landscape architecture

_Operative landscapes exhibit concepts regarding self organisation emergence, ecology, systems, performance and function. This specific approach tends no to focus on future uncertainties to be adapted within a space over time…

_James Corner, put forward that landscape as an agent of change without end. “A cumulative directionality toward further becoming”; a constant process of unfolding rather than a rigid reality. Michael Desvigne interprets this notion as an indeterminate nature, a “Long time frame of landscapes and cities and especially “the play with time: the different stages of development that concentrate the condense, in short a short period. Processes with historical rhythms. 

_Communities rely on their surrounding resources for their functions.. Resources such as in the form of intact ecologies of forests, bogs, rivers and grasslands and through cultivation transformed into reserves, channels, acreage and plots. 

_Public spaces such as parks, community gardens, plaza or a street scape, the public where people interact provide a shared sense of ownership and the qualities of these spaces impacts the community on how they operate and evolve.. 

_Public spaces are the main core of creating and directing a successful community development… making use of a landscape framework to support an operative landscape….

_Public open spaces are continuously evolving with their communities… they can be considered as a dynamic rather than static and prescriptive

_A well designed open space tends to Forster strong community pride and involvement..

_What are remediation strategies for landscape?  

_Understand the communities impact throughout the design phases of a project… it can lend an insight on the effects of community input, development and sustained involvement and therefore it can guide the design of public spaces as intentional catalyst for community building….

JENFELDER AU, HAMBEG, GERMANY

_The community has been developed on a site and it was formerly occupied by military Baracks…

_The  design crated a typological references to the sites history to develop a strong image for this east Hamburg neighbourhood… currently considers charaterless but also includes technical design features such as rainwater harvesting, biomass energy production by useing sanitary waste and solar energy collection….

CRISTAL PARK, BIEL, SWI TZERLAND

_It was used as a waste disposal site, Prohibiting built structure, the site was then developed into a community park…

NEW FARM, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 

_The riverfront community of New Farm provides a rich contextual narrative for a site that has experiences morphological and cultural transformations.

_New Farm’s name traces back to the portion of these sites peninsula that was once a farming settlement in the late 1800’s

_New Farms adaptive master plan, interprets the spatial and historical processes of socio economic change, the physical realities of the site, as well as its heritage quality informed by the sites previous industrial nature..

_New Farms regeneration to outline the preservation of the community’s historic housing stock, by providing guidelines that prescribe the creation of a heritage park system with reference to some fo the legacy features of the site.

DOCKSIDE GREEN, VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

_Dockside Green is an adaptive reuse of an industrial site that required brownfield remediation inured to make the site an appropriate contact for urban development.

_The project blends the best of the arbors old industrial fabric with innovate practices in landscape technology

*Landscape Architecture and Digital Technologies

Green-roofs assist in providing some of this habitat, collecting and recycling rainwater, insulating the interior membrane of the buildings and connecting the upper units to planted areas. 

Remediating a Sense of Place

Memory and Environmental Justice in Anniston, Alabama 

Melanie Barron 

University of Tennessee - Knoxville 

_”The Material Landscape itself, as it is produces by the black subject and mapped as unimaginably black, must be rewritten into black, and arguably human, existence on different terms…. Invisible geographies, marginality, indicate a struggle and ways of knowing the world, which can also illustrate wider conceptual and material spaces for consideration; real, lived dispossessions and reclamations, for example. The margins and invisibility, then are also lived and right in the middle of our historically present landscape.” Katherine McKitrrick, Demonic Grounds - pp. 5-7 

RECYCLING SPACES Curation Urban Evolution:

The Landscape Design Of MARTHA SCHWARTZ PARTNERS 

GRAND CANAL SQAURE Dublin — Case Study 

_Recuperation as a contemporary landscape architecture in response to the slow violence of economic restructuring globally

_Post Industrial Cities 

_Since the late 17th Century, the dublin docklands area has transformed from river estuary, to agricultural fields, to industrial port, to gas works, to toxic brownfield, to vibrant urban neighbourhood. Grand Canal Square, the centrepiece of the new development, has played a catalytic role in the most recent reshaping of this once forgotten part of town..

_Dublin is a city of change. More than 1000 years the city has been ruled by the norse and normans the British and the Irish, it has ben an agricultural city, a shipping city, a manufacturing city, a service city and a technology city. As the economy shifts, Dublin shifts..

_The most recent wave of movement to Dublin came during the Celtic tiger boom of the mid 1990’s, when Ireland transitioned from being one of the poorest in western Europe to having one of the fastest growing economies on the continent…

_In order to transform the site and its toxicity that got left behind, from being derelict industrial site to a vibrant mixed used development, the DDDA (The Dublin Docklands Development Authority) combined an innovative relaxation strategy and public realm design…

_”If you want to make it something that people are drawn to, you need to imprint it in peoples imaginations, in a way that is fun, that is lively. It had to have an identity in and of itself and had to be of cultural and artistic value.” - John McLaughlin

_The docklands are has historically been important of Dublin, but it was a really tough place to live, Now 80,000 people living and nearly 30,000 jobs. Facebooks agency is near and google just opened up their European headquarters. Businesses are growing and there’s a young and energetic population…

BEAUTY REDEEMED: Recycling post industrial Landscapes 

Ellen Braae 

“INTERVENTIONS”

Learning from Landschaftspark Duisburg - Nord

_German Landscape Architect Peter Latz - Latz + Partners 

_The transformation of former industrial areas for new purposes is a widespread phenomenon happening before our eyes.. 

_ “A space is thereby established in which the past, present and future can be seen together in mutual dialogue”

_The reuse of ruin ions industrial areas inscribes it self cultural in a wider artistic re-orientation and re-interprests on what we already have, contributing towards thinking behind sustainability. 

_The Industrial areas can be seen as potential new cultural heritage, where preservation, re use and transformation becomes allies

_Transformation of industrial areas is ushering in an epistemological breakthrough in design… there’s a lot of things to be learned from transformed industrial areas 

_The innovation in Latz proposal lay in decoding of features and qualities and the way they were highlighted and reworked. He saw structures in the area which could form settings and provide inspiration for new uses…

_Relics of Industrialism and The Process of nature

_Latz also developed a strategy for cultural re-use which no only re-incorporated the materials on the site but also incorporated entire structures such as the massive blast furnace which today houses an auditorium

_Latz intervention-based transformations with its desire to re use the decommissioned industrial areas in various ways, includes several aspect of sustainability.

_Sustainability in relations to the questions of future ruin ions industrial areas also involve cultural dimensions. There is cultural history hidden in these discrete areas, where the requirements of productions are intertwined with culturally determined values - but of far greater importance of how we can build a new future out if these ruins and derelict spaces 

_ “How can we work on the new aesthetics qualities, functions and materials, and the new frames of understanding in the industrial leavings, in a way that is meaning for us today and helps to draw the counters of tomorrow?” 

_ “German Historian Koselleck said each era is formed by its expectations of the future and if we are unable to take a creative approach to an absolutely crucial central element of our recent past and the present we live in, then in that respect there is little hope for our future. We must then develop our aesthetic views of these ruins if we are build a future from them and on top of them. This is where we find the new sustainability”

_ “Industrial areas can be regarded as a new form of cultural heritage, to be investigated and creatively treated” 

FROM INDUSTRIAL TO POST INDUSTRIAL UBRAN LANDSCAPE 

Industrial Landscapes as an element of post-industrial urbanisation 

_Post Industrial urban landscapes, ruinous industrial landscapes are simply part of are not planned, unified entities, they are accumulations of a series of decision taken over time, each rational in its own right, which led to the current stage of urbanisation. 

_Overlaid like a palimpsest on largely obliterated earlier uses of the land…

_ “In between landscapes” can be criticised as lacking both identity and aesthetic quality

[shirlleycoyle]

Irish Communities Are Reclaiming One of the World’s Dirtiest Fuels

This is Tipping Point, a new VICE series that covers environmental justice stories about and, where possible, written by people in the communities experiencing the stark reality of our changing planet.

Step onto a well-preserved mossy bog, saturated with rain, and the ground will flex like a big dark mattress under your feet. It’s quicksand made of mud, what the word “quagmire” literally refers to. But drain a bog, dry it out, chop the mud into bricks and you can burn it. In Ireland, turning bogs into fuel has been going on for centuries and has created desperately needed jobs. The smell of peat burning still lifts some people’s hearts. Richer than woodsmoke, it’s dense and earthy. If you’ve ever had peated whiskey, you’ll have experienced a whisper of it.

But peat, or turf, is one of the most polluting fuels in the world. It is more polluting, even, than coal, generating less energy when burned while producing more emissions.

Photographer Tina Claffey spent her summers cutting turf, or peat, with her family. Her dad insisted on it. “Bog” was, to a teenage Claffey, synonymous with “boredom.” Like many Irish families, they stored the peat at home for use as a winter fuel. According to the 2016 census, more than 75,000 households in the Republic of Ireland continue to burn peat this way.

And then Claffey’s opinion of peat changed. Upon returning to Ireland after several years of working as a photographer in Botswana, she went on a nature walk and realized that, far from desolate places full of dirty fuel, bogs were teeming with life.

“It completely blew my mind that there was a wilderness there in the bogs that I never knew about,” she says.

Photographer Tina Claffey found bogs teeming with life. Photos courtesy of Tina Claffey

As she started photographing the flora and fauna of her native peatlands, she found others like her, with a newfound appreciation of the bogs. A movement was afoot to rethink peatlands—not as fuel, but as wildlife havens and secret weapons in the fight against climate change.

It’s a battle to save the last of Ireland’s well-preserved bogs. Just 1 percent of the Republic of Ireland’s raised bogs (swollen tracts of peatland) survives.

“One of the secret weapons in [fighting] climate change was literally beneath our feet”

The countercultural movement started as early as 2000, when Chris Uys and a gaggle of like-minded environmentalists stared down a peat-harvesting machine at Abbeyleix bog in County Laois and forced it to retreat. The machine was operated by Bord na Móna, the state-owned peat harvesting firm.

Some of the people involved in the standoff at Abbeyleix. Photo courtesy of Kevin Hutchinson

“Everybody thought you had two heads when you talked about carbon emissions, carbon stores,” recalls Uys. The Republic of Ireland’s own national peatlands strategy document in 2015 acknowledged that the environmental role of bogs “is not widely appreciated.”

But bogs can mitigate the vast amounts of carbon dioxide human civilization spews into the atmosphere. When the sphagnum moss that grows on bogs dies, it does not break down. Instead, carbon in the organic matter is locked into the dense, wet soil. It’s like a giant carbon sponge spread over the land. A 15-centimetre-deep hectare of peatland contains more carbon, in fact, than a hectare of tropical rainforest. Together, all the world’s bogs store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests.

Uys and his companions won. After the excavating machine left, talks over what to do with the bog lasted more than a decade. An environmental case against the Republic of Ireland brought by the European Commission eventually led to the campaigners signing a 50-year lease for the site with Bord na Móna in 2012.

Uys now runs the Community Wetlands Forum, a nexus for bog-loving Irish people. From a handful of communities at the outset, Uys says more than 20 are now involved, made up of several hundred people scattered across the republic.

The first thing communities do when they decide a local bog is worth preserving is to try and get other people interested in it. They build boardwalks and nature reserves, to draw visitors and emphasize the peatlands’ ecological importance. After that, Uys says they conduct some sort of environmental assessment—species monitoring, for instance.

Open peatlands account for 7-10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the Republic of Ireland

The ultimate goal of conservation projects is to “re-wet” the land. Bogs used for industrial purposes were drained by cutting channels into them so that groundwater could seep out. That allowed the peat to dry so that it could be removed in brick-like chunks. Some peatlands harvested in this way are now discarded as vast, barren wastelands—deserts of cracking mud.

Carbon-rich black peat left open to the air actually emits vast quantities of carbon dioxide over time.

“When it’s a black peat or bare peat, it’s 4-6 tons of CO2 [per hectare] per year,” says Shane Regan, who works at the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service. Open peatlands account for 7-10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the Republic of Ireland.

By blocking the drains, however, rainwater that falls on the bogs stays put, re-wetting the system and locking carbon in. Locals are starting to get involved in doing exactly that.

“The people that are blocking the drains are the people who in the past perhaps would have opened [them]; they would have dug these drains 30 years ago,” says Ronan Casey of The Living Bog, a restoration project that is supporting the community-led conservation of 12 peatland areas across seven counties.

It couldn’t be happening at a more urgent time. A study published Monday in Nature Geoscience revealed that 42 percent of 31 peatlands surveyed in Europe are the driest they have been for a millennium.

“For decades we were going around not actually realizing that one of the secret weapons in [fighting] climate change was literally beneath our feet,” adds Casey.

Even Bord na Móna is having to change how it does things. Last year, it announced that it would close 17 bogs that had supplied peat for industrial uses, and phase out burning peat for energy by 2028. But some say this is too little, too late. Bord na Móna still harvests peat and exports it for horticultural use, for example. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Claffey says attitudes are changing. While some families still proudly cart their turf home for the winter, knowledge of environmental issues is spreading—particularly among young people.

“There’s definitely more of an awareness of our bogs now than there was a few years ago,” she says. “There’s still a lot of work to do, though.”

Chris Baraniuk is a freelance science journalist based in Northern Ireland. Follow him on Twitter.

Have a story for Tipping Point? Email TippingPoint@vice.com

This article originally appeared on VICE CA.

Irish Communities Are Reclaiming One of the World’s Dirtiest Fuels syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[mrstevenbushus]

10 Steps to a Green Home Renovation

There’s no denying that new eco homes are a fantastic step towards a low carbon country, but as more than 80 per cent of the houses that will be standing by 2050 have already been built, retrofitting our existing dwellings is a crucial measure.

While the government recognises that eco-retrofits are extremely important, the onus still falls on you, the homeowner, to get things done. So if you’re keen to increase your home’s efficiency, here are our top 10 steps:

1. Upgrade your home’s insulation

Attaching renewables to your home is pointless if it’s so poorly insulated that heat flows straight out. Insulation is essential for any eco-renovation, because as much as 40 per cent of a home’s heat loss is down to a lack of it.

Insulating loft or cavity walls is relatively simple. You can be do this with a range of materials, from sheep’s wool to expanding foam. Insulating either will cost from £250 and could save more than £150 a year in energy bills.

To bring this Georgian renovation up to modern standards  a new central heating system was installed, coupled with a heavily insulated roof

It’s trickier to insulate solid walls. Internally you could apply thermal lining. Externally, a layer of insulation can be fixed to existing walls and then covered in render.

Do be aware, though, that if you’re working with a heritage home, you will need to make sure you retain the breathability of the building fabric to avoid problems with damp. For more information, follow our guide to how to insulate a period house.

Costs vary significantly – for a realistic quote contact the National Insulation Association. 

2. Go for double or triple glazing

Over 10 per cent of a home’s energy can be lost through the windows, so it’s essential that yours perform well.

Triple glazing now comes in an array of stunning contemporary designs, for instance – this Norrsken folding window

Replacing single-glazed windows with double- or even triple-glazed versions will slow heat transfer. To reduce this further, consider a product filled with a low-conductivity gas, such as argon.

You can even get hold of low-emissivity (low-e) glass, which has a special coating to reflect heat back into the room. See our feature on energy efficient windows for more information.

3. Invest in solar panel systems

Solar panel systems can be used to produce hot water or generate electricity, and work well with financial incentives such as FITs.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight into electricity. They don’t need direct sunlight to work – so you can generate on a cloudy day – but you’ll need to attach them to a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south. Costs vary between £8,000 and £14,000.

Get some inspiration

If an eco-renovation seems like a daunting process, you’d do well to take a tour of the  Renovation House at the National Self Build & Renovation centre (pictured above).

At the beginning of the tour, they will introduce you to a dilapidated interwar home. The property showcases all of the problem areas you mightface on a typical renovation – damp, no insulation, poor heating and even rotting timbers.

As you’re guided round, room-by-room, you’ll be shown how to recognise common problems and install the necessary measures to combat them.

From replacing window frames and installing insulation to treating rising damp the Renovation House covers everything you need to know.

By the time you walk through the finished rooms, you’ll have ample inspiration to start your own home transformation.

Water-based systems – evacuated tubes or flat plate collectors fitted to your roof –  draw energy from the sun to warm domestic water.

You can use a back up boiler to boost the temperature if necessary. Most boiler and hot water cylinder systems are compatible. Prices start from £3,000.

Unless you live in Wales or Northern Ireland you won’t need planning permission for most systems, depending on size.

4. Consider renewable heating systems

There’s nothing more sustainable than taking a natural approach to heating your home.

We’ve already looked at solar thermal, but there are other options worth considering, including heat pumps (which act like refrigerators in reverse) and wood-fuelled systems such as biomass boilers.

Ground source heat pumps collect warmth from a few metres beneath the surface, where the temperature is relatively constant, and concentrate it into useful energy

Ground-source heat pumps use buried pipes to extract heat from the earth for your home’s heating and hot water circuits. You won’t usually need planning permission, but you’ll need to be prepared for the disruption of digging up your garden.

Air-source systems use a similar principle, but extract heat from the air. They can be fitted to an external wall or sometimes in roof space, making them ideal for retrofits. Air source heat pumps cost from around £2,000.

Wood-fuelled heating systems burn pellets or logs to power central heating or warm a single room. A biomass boiler (from £9,000 including installation) feeds your central heating and hot water.

It should provide for all your heating needs, but requires plenty of space; a spacious utility room should suffice.

A standalone stove (around £3,000) heats one room and can be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating.

5. Reclaim and reuse building materials

Directing construction and demolition materials out of the waste stream by reusing them is great for the environment.

The best place to source reclaimed materials is direct from the site of a demolition or remodelling project. Buildings are often dismantled quite carefully so that materials can be sold on.

This listed conversion used reclaimed materials to create an authentic feel

You can also source useful items from salvage yards, which sell anything from old bricks to high-end materials and heritage products.

Using reclaimed building materials can be beneficial, especially if you are restoring a period home. Always ensure you buy materials that are fit for purpose.

6. Decorate with eco-friendly finishes

You’ll undoubtedly be using a lot of paint to decorate your home. Fortunately there are plenty of green products available.

Most eco-paints are water-soluble and use plant oils and resins to form the solution, with pigments coming from minerals or plant dyes.

Environmentally-friendly wood varnishes and waxes are also available, as are green options to clean and prepare walls. Sustainable wallpapers include natural coverings made from materials such as hessian, cotton and wool.

7. Lay underfloor heating

If you’ve always used radiators, maybe it’s time for a change. Underfloor heating (UFH) is a great alternative, and should be easy to install if you’re pulling up floors as part of the renovation process.

Underfloor heating means that there is no wasted wall space in this stylish living room

It operates at a temperature just a few degrees warmer than the room air temperature by circulating warm water through a network of cross-linked pipes installed under your flooring.

The low operating temperature means it’s easily linked with alternative heating sources with similar low temperature outputs – such as solar thermal or heat pumps.

8. Improve thermostats and heating controls

Over 60 per cent of the energy consumed in the average household is used for space heating. By using smart HVAC (heating ventilation air conditioning) controls, this can be reduced by up to 35 per cent.

Temperature regulation is the key; a one degree temperature drop equates to a ten per cent energy saving overall.

HVAC controls can be used to run individual zones or rooms at different temperatures, so unused areas of the house can be heated at a lower temperature. Wireless systems are relatively easy to install and costs start at around £250.

9. Choose natural materials for walls and floors

Specifying natural products will help keep your home chemical free. Internally, your main priority is the walls and floors. Walls must be airtight but breathable so that moisture can escape outside.

Architect Surman Weston incorporated innovative cork cladding in this home office design. This creates a thermally and acoustically efficient external barrier

If you’ve insulated with a natural product, don’t hide it behind synthetic walls. Both lime and clay plasters are a natural, breathable and flexible alternative.

There are many natural flooring products, with wood being the most popular. Make sure it is derived from a sustainable source (the FSC logo is a good indicator).

If wood’s not your thing, consider cork, marmoleum or even rubber, which can all be 100 per cent natural – but always check the supply chain.

10. Recycle water

Thousands of litres of rainwater fall on your roof each year – so why not collect it? This water can function to flush toilets, fill washing machines and water gardens.

Consider a rainwater harvesting system that collects rainfall via a drainpipe, filters out leaves and debris, and then stores the useable water in a tank.

Also think about changing your toilets and showers. A low-flush toilet uses less than four litres per flush and a low-flow showerhead less than 10 litres per minute.

When George and Rosie Woods bought an old Victorian house, they were keen to renovate it to create a warm, efficient family home. Find out how they approached their eco renovation project

The post 10 Steps to a Green Home Renovation appeared first on Build It.

Article reference 10 Steps to a Green Home Renovation

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Rainwater Harvesting Systems Ireland. Quality high performance storage tanks and pumps to easily manage your waste water and rainwater collection.

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Embracing Sustainability: Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Ireland

Introduction:

In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, Ireland has been making significant strides towards sustainable practices. One such commendable initiative gaining popularity is the adoption of rainwater harvesting systems. These systems play a crucial role in water conservation, hRainwater Harvesting Systems Ireland,elping both homeowners and businesses reduce their environmental impact while also offering economic benefits.

Rainwater Harvesting in Ireland:

Ireland, known for its lush green landscapes and abundant rainfall, is ideally suited for rainwater harvesting. This practice involves collecting and storing rainwater for later use, thereby reducing reliance on mains water supply and promoting self-sufficiency.

Components of Rainwater Harvesting Systems:

Catchment Surface: The first component of a rainwater harvesting system is the catchment surface, typically the roof of a building. Rainwater is collected as it falls on this surface.

Gutters and Downpipes: Gutters and downpipes are essential for channeling rainwater from the catchment surface to the storage tank. Properly designed and maintained gutters ensure efficient collection and prevent debris from entering the system.

Storage Tanks: The collected rainwater is stored in tanks, which come in various sizes and materials. Tanks can be above-ground or underground, and their capacity depends on the intended use and the size of the catchment area.

Filtration System: To ensure the quality of stored rainwater, a filtration system is often integrated. This removes debris, leaves, and other contaminants, ensuring the water is suitable for its intended purposes.

Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Ireland:

Water Conservation: Ireland experiences a significant amount of rainfall throughout the year. By harnessing rainwater, individuals and businesses can contribute to water conservation efforts and reduce the strain on mains water supplies.

Cost Savings: Rainwater harvesting can lead to substantial cost savings over time. By relying on collected rainwater for non-potable uses such as irrigation, flushing toilets, and washing vehicles, users can lower their water bills.

Environmental Impact: Decreasing reliance on mains water helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with water treatment and distribution. Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable solution that aligns with Ireland's commitment to environmental stewardship.

Resilience in Drought Conditions: In periods of drought, rainwater harvesting systems provide a valuable alternative water source. This increases resilience against water shortages, ensuring a continued water supply for essential needs.

Government Support and Initiatives:

The Irish government recognizes the importance of sustainable water management and has implemented initiatives to encourage the adoption of rainwater harvesting systems. Grants and incentives are available to support individuals and businesses in installing these systems, making the transition to sustainable water practices more accessible.

Conclusion:

Rainwater harvesting systems in Ireland represent a promising step towards sustainable living. As the nation strives to balance economic growth with environmental preservation, embracing such eco-friendly practices can lead to a more resilient and environmentally conscious future. By harnessing the abundant rainfall that graces the Irish landscape, individuals and businesses can contribute to a more sustainable and water-secure Ireland.