One can ensure that each device attached to a water system receives the predicted amount of water regarless of what is happening elsewhere in the system.

The following figures illustrate this principle best.

]]> http://www.easyenergy.co.za/controlled-distribution.html/feed 2 http://www.easyenergy.co.za/save-water-save-electricity.html http://www.easyenergy.co.za/save-water-save-electricity.html#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:12:54 +0000 justin http://www.easyenergy.co.za/?p=652 Save water, save water, save water is the message you get when driving around a lot of the towns in South Africa. A major water crisis is looming in South Africa as 98% of our water resources have been allocated for use already. The effect of what seems to be poor management at government level along with the effects of climate change means that South Africa’s water reserves will just not be enough.

Save water today and do your bit to help save water in South Africa. You will not only save water, but also save electricity at the same time by installing Easy Energy’s flow regulators. You will save electricity as you will no longer have to reheat as much water as you are saving water whilst showering and using the basin.

Easy Energy has the ideal solutions to help you save water and save electricity by using its range of flow regulators.

The typical shower head delivers up to 20 litres of water per minute which can be reduced to 10 litres per minute resulting in a 50% water saving. By saving 10 litres of water per minute, you will save 50 litres of precious water per shower. This water saving amounts to roughtly R100 per person per month in electricity.

So do your part and save water. Easy Energy’s flow regulators can help you save water, save water and save water. Not only do you save water, you will also save power.

South Africa has in recent times been hit by so called load shedding which saw large parts of the country being plunged into darkness as the national energy utility failed to meet the electricity demands of the growing South African economy. The load shedding along with many energy saving and solar water heating campaings has raised a great awareness of how precious energy is in South Africa. Recent hikes in energy costs by the national untility and regulator has emphasized the energy crisis even more and most consumers are now looking to save energy and as a result save money. Saving the environment on the other hand has been a secondary factor in many people’s decisions and is typically not the primary goal when ‘going green’.

South Africa has long been a very dry country with most cities and towns around the coutry having had water restrictions imposed on them in recent times as dam levels reached dangerously low levels. Although many water transfer and storage schemes exist in South Africa, a shrinking gap between water supply and demand is inevitable as the economy grows. Who knows, we may just have a very similar situation on the water front as we did on the energy front!

People can choose to change their lifestyles and as a result become more water and energy efficient, however the majority of people do it for the first week or so and then revert back to the more convenient and less efficient ways of doing things.

Easy Energy has launched an exciting new range of imported products which allows one to easily save water without having to change your lifestyle. We strive to save water and energy without loss in comfort. The newly launched range of flow regulators do just that, they regulate the flow of water and as a result reduce the amount of wasted water. Substancial amounts of energy is also saved in the process as less water has to be reheated.

The flow regulators are extremely easy to install and come in many shapes and sizes to meet the requirements of 99.9% of applications. The flow regulators can easily be retrofitted to the majority of showers and hand basins to ensure that just the right amount of water is delivered to do the job. One typically sees a 50% to 60% reduction in water consumption with 6 litres/minute being delivered to basins and 10 litres/minute being delivered to showers.

Flow regulators have a payback period of between 2 and 4 months making them the ideal energy and water saving choice.

Please feel free to contact us either on +27 (87) 351 9220 or info@easyenergy.co.za for further information on this exciting new range of water and energy saving products.

Water efficiency is a critical component of enviromental and energy saving measures and is often overlooked. Substantial energy, carbon and water can be saved by installing various water saving devices around buildings and factories. Energy is saved as less water is used which results in less water having to be heated.

Benefits of using water more efficiently

• Reduction in water bill
• Reduction in electrical bill
• Save the environment by using less water
• Reduce your carbon footprint by using less water and therefore less electricity

How can I become more water efficient?

• Water efficiency can be achieved in various ways, including:
• Adapting your water usage habits to be more efficient
• Installing flow regulating devices to manage water usage
• Installing devices to assist in reducing water consumption

Easy Energy strives to assist its customers in becoming more water efficient without changing the original experience.

How do I know what water efficiency devices to install?

Easy Energy’s highly trained staff will be able to assist you in selecting the correct product as well as professionally install the water efficiency solutions.

Please contact us for more information on this exciting range of water efficiency solutions.

A flow regulator does just that, it regulates the flow of water independant of water pressure to provide you with a constant predictable flow of water. Various models of flow regulators are avaliable that provide a wide range flow rates and can be used in many applications.

The following graph illustrates how a 6 litre per minute flow regulator regulates the flow rate of water through it regardless of the pressure whereas the flow rate increases as the pressure increases in the unregulated scenario.

Regulated flow and Unregulated flow vs. Pressure

Benefits

• Flow regulators offer many benefits, including:
• Save Water by preventing excess water from being wasted
• Save Energy by preventing hot water from being wasted
• Accurately predict how much water is used per device – especially usefull in large buildings
• Achieve controlled distribution in your building – see section on controlled distribution below

How they save

Flow regulators ensure that enough water is delivered in various applications to do the job and no more. This prevents the additional water that would be delivered in an unregulated environment from being wasted.

Substantial amounts of energy is also saved as the amount of hot water that is wasted during various activities – such as showering and washing hands – is reduced substantially.

As can be seen in the graph above, the area between the Controlled Flow and Normal Flow graphs is tha mount of water that is saved.

Expected Savings

It all depends on the application, but the two most significant areas of saving are typically showers and wash basins. Approximately 10 litres per minute is saved per 5 minute shower which amounts to 18,250 litres per shower per year.

This amounts to roughly R1,200 per person per shower per year which will be saved in electricity alone! We have assumed that electricity is R0.70 per kWh, the average length of a shower is 5 minutes and that a person takes one shower per day.

How they work

Easy Energy’s range of flow regulators are built according to a very simple, yet ingenius design. As illusrated in the figure below, the each flow regulator is comprised of 3 parts:

• The Core
• The Dynamic Elastomer
• The Housing
• Components of a Flow Regulator

As illustrated in the figure below, the dynamic elastomer (black) is compressed as the water pressure increases which in turn reduces the size of the gap (blue) through which water can flow. This mechanism ensures that the water’s flow rate is reduced regardless of the water pressure.

How the flow regulator works

Controlled Distribution?

Controlled distribution is the process of ensuring that all devices connected to a specific water supply receive a constant amount of water regarless of any activity upstream. Many buildings suffer from the negative effects of unequal distribution.

Controlled distribution can easily be achieved though the use of flow regulators as illustrated in the figures below.

Examples of where controlled distribution is beneficial

Example of Use

Flow regulators can be used in various applications, some include:

• Showers
• Basins
• Large pipelines

Virtually and application that requires a fixed flow rate

Flow regulators can be used in any building, including:

• Homes
• Schools
• Boarding Schools
• Hotels
• Prisons
• Factories
• And many more…

Payback Period

The payback period all depends on the application. The payback for a flow regulator used in a shower is typically 2 months.

Comparison

Many water saving devices exist on the market, but very few provide the results that flow regulators do. The reason being that majority of water saving devices are flow restrictors and not flow regulators which means that the flow rate cannot be pegged at a particular flow rate independant of pressure.

Purchasing Options

Easy Energy supplies the product and can also install the flow regulators. Please contact us for further information regarding flow regulators.

The shower water and energy saver has been designed to easily be retrofitted to majority of shower heads. The shower water saver is typically installed just behind your existing shower head – coverting your exisitng shower head into an water saving and energy saving device.

Benefits

• Save Water – up to 18,000 litres per person per year
• Save Electricity – up to R1,200 per person per year
• Obtain controlled distribution in your building

Camparison

The following graph compares the flow rate of a shower head without a flow regulator vs the flow rate after a flow regulator had been fitted.

Expected Payback

The expected payback on these devices is anywhere between 1 and 3 months.

Sizing

Various flow rates are available in 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1″ fittings:

• 10 litres per minute – recommended
• 12 litres per minute
• 15 litres per minute

Purchasing Options

Shower water and energy savers can be purchased directly from Easy Energy. Please contact us for further information and pricing on this product.