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Just as a calm, warm shower can cleanse the body, a green way of doing it can soothe the soul. While residents leave the heat off in their homes when they leave for vacation, the same cannot be said for hot water in most households. It seems only logical to leave the hot water off when it is not needed.

This is the logic behind the “tankless” or “instant” water heater, which provides on-demand and instantaneous hot water at an efficient and less costly rate. And though the intangible savings of fossil fuel pollution and water waste are not immediately apparent, the fact that energy and water are such indelible aspects of a home’s eco-footprint means that the water heater is an ideal target for those aiming to conserve.

Tankless heaters not only save several square feet of storage space—there’s also no stand-by energy losses and no sitting water. Typical tankless water heaters can be about 35 percent more energy efficient than traditional storage tank water heaters for a home that uses about 40 gallons of hot water a day.

Depending on the extent of their use, tankless heaters can yield energy savings of up to 50 percent if they are installed in a strategic and advantageous manner. Since approximately 15 percent of the total energy expenditure of typical households goes to heating water, the benefits can be far-reaching.

For the eco-conscious, solar water heating is the best, though the current price tag can be a bit daunting. The next best step is “going tankless” with an electric or gas-powered heater. It is imperative to do some homework to determine what kind of tankless system will work best with the distinguished features of the home and the lifestyle of its occupants.

The Basics of Tankless

Before scurrying to the store, it is advisable to know how tankless systems actually work. When the hot water tap is turned on, cooler regular water pumps through a pipe into the water heater unit. This on-demand design frees home owners from having to wait for a water tank to fill up with enough water.

In general, gas-powered tankless heaters produce higher flow rates of water compared to electric heaters. The drawback is that some gas-powered heaters with pilots actually waste energy, thereby negating the good intentions of the eco-conscious resident. You can curb this waste factor by:

* Purchasing pilot lights that you can turn off
* Installing models that have intermittent ignition devices, similar to spark ignitions in gas ovens

Gas-powered models rely on either propane or natural gas and require stainless steel venting accessories that can run up the purchase by an extra few hundred dollars.

For electric heaters, consult with a reputable electrician, who can recommend voltage and survey your home for circuits. Most retailers sell heaters that will accommodate voltages of 110, 120, 208, 220, 240, and 277. For gas, the decision comes down to propane or natural gas and considering where the discharge will go.

Examining Your Lifestyle

If you’re not such a whiz with mathematical calculations, a good way to polish your arithmetic skills is to formulate how a tankless water heater can reconcile your daily household routine with your green conscience.

Calculating Flow Rate Demand

A strong tankless heater can pump about 5 gallons a minute of hot water throughout the whole house. But if your teenaged kid likes taking 15-minute showers while you run the dishwasher, this might not suffice. Calculating your flow-rate demand is key in determining whether to install one heater for the whole house or multiple heaters for different appliances and bathrooms. In a busy household, all of these appliances running at the same time can challenge a tankless heater’s ability to meet hot water demand.

In addition, the climate conditions where you live can affect the performance of your heating unit. There is a notable difference between operating a tankless heater in Michigan compared to operating one in Arizona in the dead of February. Naturally, water in the Southeast desert is warmer and is thus less taxing on your heater.

To run the numbers in a calculation checklist:

• First, list the number of hot water devices in your house that may be used at the same time.
• Add up their flow rates based on gallons per minute.
  • Kitchen sinks use about 1 gallon/minute.
  • Showers are between 2.5-3 gallons/minute.
  • Larger appliances like dishwashers require 3 gallons/minute.

If your incoming water temperature for the shower is 60 degrees and you want to enjoy a 125 degree shower at a water flow rate of 3 gallons/minute, you will need a heater capable of reaching at least 65 degrees at 3 gallons/minute. If you want your heater to provide for more than just the shower—such as the kitchen sink or the dishwasher—then they need to be factored into the equation when investigating the heating unit’s capabilities.

Powerful gas-powered tankless heaters can warm water 70 degrees at five gallons/minute, while electric heaters can achieve two gallons/minute.

Tankless is an investment

Like most green building features, the product costs more initially and saves money and energy consumption over the course of the product’s lifespan. Tankless water heaters vary in price and usually cost several hundred dollars more than the typical tank heater. In addition, installation can notch the price up into the four figures. Consulting a contractor and acquiring a permit through the city or county are both time-consuming and cumbersome.

But for people who want to integrate green building systems into their homes, going tankless is an effective way of striving toward that goal. Amid rising energy costs and water bills in some regions of the country, current savings can hover around $100 a year.

Tankless water heaters last for about 20 years, compared to the 10 to 15 year lifespan of the tank. And tankless heaters feature easily replaceable parts that can extend its lifespan years beyond that. Tax credits are available for making the improvement, which can save you hundreds of dollars. Check your state’s Web site for more information. At the federal level, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides tax credits through 2007 for homeowners who make such improvements.

The leap from the tank takes time, money, and patience. But once the leap is made, those warm showers might become a little warmer.

Read the full story here.

The Rainwater HOG is a modular rainwater storage tank for use in tight spaces such as under decks, against houses, or even within walls. Made from food-grade virgin polyethylene, each module holds 47.6 gallons of water for use in gardening, irrigation, toilets, and laundry, or as potable water (after proper filtration). If not being installed—or likely to be adapted—for potable water, tanks can be ordered made from non-food-grade polyethylene that includes 15% recycled content. When installed within a building envelope, the tanks can serve as thermal storage for passive solar heating systems. These 71″ x 19.5″ x 8.5″ tanks can be installed horizontally or vertically, and they can be ganged in series. They come with inlet screens, elbow vents, and overflow valves. Rainwater HOG is available as a stand-alone tank that is plumbed into the downspout or as part of a complete rainwater harvesting system called Rainwater Rescue, which combines the Rainwater HOG tank with GLI Systems’ RainTube roof-level water collector. Standard colors include bronze or olive green, but other colors are available for orders of 20 or more units. Rainwater HOG comes with a one-year guarantee. A larger tank is being introduced in 2009.

What makes this product green:

• Conserves Wter
• Includes Pre-Consumer recycled content
• Pertains to Renewable Energy
• Reduces waste from operations

In 2008, PermaFlow amazes the competition with this elegant, green, sustainable product that is such an obvious solution to the general consumer’s problem with clogged drains- a problem that recent surveys show that 63% of us have every year.

See the PermaFLOW on the ProBuilder website HERE.

Popular Science awarded the PermaFLOW device from PFWaterworks one of its top 100 Best Innovations of 2008. The text from this December 2008 article is below:

Sink clogged again? Just turn the knob on the outside of the PermaFlow, and a flexible rubber paddle inside rotates through the trap to push the wad downstream. PermaFlow also helps keep glop from gathering in the first place, with a subtle angle in the incoming pipe that generates turbulence to carry it away. If something does get stuck, turning the paddle to nine o’clock creates a bypass through the top of the circle. Six gaskets protect the seal where the knob enters the trap—a redundancy that kept it watertight in tests for up to 31,000 rotations.

Jenny Barchfield, January 13, 2009

PARIS (AP) — The world just can’t get enough wine.

Global wine consumption, on the rise in past years, is forecast to continue to grow in the coming ones, with the United States overtaking Italy as the world’s biggest consumer by 2012, according to a new report released Tuesday by the International Wine and Spirit Record.

The thirst for wine is set to deepen in emerging economies such as China and Russia, whose consumption levels are soon expected to overtake that of Spain, another nation historically associated with wine, the report said.

It predicted that the financial and economic crisis affecting many wine-consuming countries worldwide would only have “limited” consequences for the growth of the wine sector. The report forecast growth for the coming four years roughly in line with pre-crisis trends.

Global production and consumption are both expected to rise, the report said, with production expected to grow by 3.83 percent from 2008-2012 to slightly over 3 billion 2.4-gallon (9-liter) cases.

World consumption is to grow at an even quicker pace — 6 percent — over 2008-2012, reaching 2.8 billion cases, the report said.

The report, commissioned by the Bordeaux, France-based Vinexpo wine body and presented at a news conference in Paris on Tuesday, predicted the United States would dethrone Italy to become the world’s biggest consumer of non-sparkling wines by 2012.

In 2007, Italy overtook France, its wine-producing neighbor, to claim the title, buying 299 million cases, the report said. Based on past and current trends, it forecast that U.S. consumers would buy a total of 313 million cases in 2012.

Americans are already spending more on wine than any other nation. In 2007, the U.S. invested nearly $22 billion in wine purchases, the report by the London-based wine market research company said.

Surprisingly, Britons — traditionally more associated with beers and ales — have outspent the French on wine since 2005, the report said. In Russia, expenditures on wine nearly doubled between 2003-2007 and are expected to reach nearly $6.5 billion by 2012.

Europe’s three main wine producers, France, Spain and Italy, among them make up half of global production. The three have been hit hard in recent years by increasing competition from New World vintners in the United States, South America and Africa.

The report was commissioned by Vinexpo, which puts on a major wine exhibition every year, to prepare producers for coming trends.

“A couple of years back I had this Zodi X-40 outback water heater. It was a piece of junk that started leaking after the first couple of uses. The Zodi set me back a little over $400″

There are several blog comments, all positive, that call out their love for the Eccotemp L5 device.

Read the two stories here.

We found a camping blogger that LOVES his Eccotemp L5 portable tankless water heater. Read his full post here.

“My wife and I have a tiny cabin on a piece of mountain land that has a water supply, in the form of a frost-free water spigot, but no other utilities. We bought the L5 two years ago when we got tired of heating water for washing and showers in a pan on our Coleman stove. The L5 makes this glorified camping spot feel luxurious. The heater weighs about 12 pounds, making it easy to move back and forth between the spot where we wash dishes and a small enclosure I built for taking showers. When we leave, we disconnect it, drain it, and store it the cabin.”

Research released by the National Restaurant Association shows that Americans are looking for healthier options and “greener” restaurants when they dine out, in addition to an increased interest in value and convenience.

Surveys of restaurant operators, customers and chefs indicate that restaurateurs will sharpen their appeal in 2009 in these areas and that restaurants’ responsiveness to customers’ preferences will drive these industry trends, according to the association’s 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast.

“The restaurant industry is both innovative and resilient, and will remain the cornerstone of the nation’s economy and communities, employing and serving millions of Americans in 2009,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the association. “Consumers are looking for value, variety, healthier options and convenience, and they know that restaurants will provide them the experiences and choices they are seeking.
“Americans continue to rely on restaurants as a key part of their lifestyle as the industry provides the food, value and service customers seek, which drives both the trends and success of our industry. In 2009, it is predicted that nearly half of consumers’ food budget will be spent in restaurants, rewarding the continued responsiveness and innovation that our industry provides to budget-conscious Americans.”

According to new association research, healthy kids’ meals will be among the hottest trends in 2009. Out of nearly 210 culinary items listed on the association’s “What’s Hot” survey of more than 1,600 American Culinary Federation member chefs, nutritionally balanced children’s dishes came in as the No. 4 trend, and fruit/vegetable side items for kids ranked sixth. In a separate survey, quickservice operators named healthy options in kids’ meals as the No. 1 food trend in the quickservice segment in 2009.

Emphasis on Nutrition and Health

Overall, chefs ranked nutrition/health as the No. 11 trend on restaurant menus for 2009. Underscoring the importance of healthful foods, produce and fruit items, smaller dishes, fish, and gluten-free/allergy-conscious meals were all among the top 20 items on the third annual chef survey. According to association consumer research, three in four adults say they are trying to eat healthier now at restaurants than they did two years ago. Nearly three in 10 adults — 27 percent — have gone online to search for nutrition information about restaurant food, up from 24 percent a year ago.

The No. 1 trend among chefs was local produce, according to the “What’s Hot” survey, and the local foods trend has become particularly popular at fine-dining establishments. According to the association’s research, 89 percent of fine-dining operators serve locally sourced items, and nine in 10 believe demand for locally sourced items will grow in their segment in the future. Close to three in 10 quickservice operators serve locally sourced items now and nearly half believe these items will grow more popular in their segment in the future. Seventy percent of adults say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally produced food items.

Greater Energy and Water Efficiency

Restaurateurs will also continue to show increasing leadership in becoming “greener” in 2009—by taking action such as reducing energy and water use—in step with patrons’ interest in environmental issues.

About four in 10 full-service-restaurant operators and nearly three in 10 quickservice operators say they plan to devote more of their 2009 budgets to green initiatives. Restaurant patrons like the idea: 44 percent surveyed recently said they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on an operation’s practices in the areas of energy and water conservation.