Guelph Rainwater Research
This concept may not be overly fitting for Windsor’s current financial hardship in terms of unit costs, but rainwater harvesting units could prove to be very cost-effective in the long-run.
Research has and is being done at the University of Guelph to produce a successful rainwater harvesting system. The system was designed by two engineering graduate students in collaboration with a local supplier of rainwater harvesting technology.
According to University of Guelph, the harvesting process goes like this: “Rainwater that lands on the home’s fiberglass roof will be collected in roof gutters and downspouts and diverted to a filtration device before it is carried to a 6,500 litre underground cistern. The stored water will be pressurized and piped into the home to supply water to three toilets, the washing machine, and the dishwasher. The collected rainwater will also supply water to an underground irrigation system. This would account for over 50% of water consumption in a typical home.”
I was unable to find photos of the U of Guelph version of this project, but did find some diagrams which visually explain the process quite well.
![Laura Paolini of Bell Payphone Labs arrived yesterday with a mission to bust open her payphones. We found all the tools and help we needed out on the street. Otherwise, business as usual down on Pelissier, with one week left to go! The Department of Unusual Certainties have been re-arranging their workspace. These boys are [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_8367-150x150.jpg "SRSI, Day 21: Busting Open Payphones")
![Just a quick update from Sunday’s Save the City event: Sites of Apology / Sites of Hope … Thanks to the amazing group of people who turned out, we have nearly 50 sites between the two lists (which you can see in progress, above). A part of this project involves us going around to each [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_7554-150x150.jpg "Making Lists: Sites of Apology / Sites of Hope (Part 1)")
![We’re doing some field tests of our magnetic planters with some plants in them. Basically, we want to test to make sure the soil isn’t drying out too quickly and we’re also checking to see how well some plants respond to transplants. Above, you can see there’s a wire around the planter that helps it [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_4829-150x150.jpg "Field Tests!")
![It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts — a kind of summary of some of the things I’ve been working on. It seemed about time. I like posting as a sort of summary for myself, but maybe it’s interesting for my dearest BCL colleagues to see what I’ve been up to [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_6450-150x150.jpg "Research Update (some things I’ve been working on the last couple of days)")
![I’m excited to note that in addition to the current exhibition, Make It Work, on at SoVA Projects Gallery (nee LeBel Gallery) featuring work by Michelle, a new poster installation that I did, and a ton of other incredible local Windsor-Detroit artists, there’s a panel discussion featuring guests from across the country. If you’re remotely [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/PosterMIW-cut-150x150.jpg "Make It Work: Exhibition & Panel Discussion")
![A little while ago, we were trying to think through how to wrap up Save the City with a pair of billboards. We spent an evening really working through some ideas and came up with two statements that we felt articulated the end of a certain way of thinking about Windsor. Something about those statements [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_2247-150x150.jpg "…and then the city, a book")
![Official Day 1 of SRSI kicked off, lots of new folks starting their projects, vinyl is up, rooms are painted (and almost done), floors are clean, the storefronts are open!!! Come see us. The day started off with a bit more painting and cleaning up of 410 Pelissier. As no one was moving in this [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_9860-150x150.jpg "SRSI, Official Day 1: Welcome Julie, Eric, Daragh, Andrea, Julie and Jefferson")
![Another day at BCL HQ and some more progress on this ongoing magnetic planters project. Michelle and I finished putting in the remainder of our magnets into our plastic bag planters, but there are still some more planters left over. So, with more rare-earth magnets now on the way, we’ll finish up the rest when [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_4798-150x150.jpg "Magnets Installed!")
![While the adventure in working on this project began months ago, I’ve finally sorted through the mess of files I made and put it all together in a nice handy zip folder. Using Arduinos, XBees, LCDs, and PHP, this project was challenging from a technical stand-point, but I think the project is now at a [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Untitled-1-150x150.jpg "Arduino, PHP, LCDs, XBees: Tactical Texting in Public Spaces")
![Wednesday afternoon shifts into further work on testing the efficacy of the styrofoam letters being black. We’re trying to decide in anticipation of our Letter Library (A Collection of Alphabetic Interventions). Sara and Hiba painted. HELLO. Also, Kiki came by to help us paint the movable wall! And, Josh made these for a workshop [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_9276-150x150.jpg "Designing & Prototyping tools for intervention: Letter Library + Gif Party")
![Monday night was another huge brainstorming session with some new and old friends. We spent most of the evening trying to figure out the potentials in doing something like a floating sculpture in the Detroit River. We’ve discussed this before, and it seems that the space between what we’d really like to do and reality [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_5441-150x150.jpg "Earlier This Week In the Basement of BCL HQ")
![As summer rolls on, we’re continuing our work with the magnetic planters, though we now have the benefit of a front porch to enjoy the evening weather while doing so. Michelle, Josh, and I spent Monday night working on embedding the magnets into the plastic bag planters along with some more writing. We also moved [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_4671-150x150.jpg "Embedding Magnets")
![Michelle Wybenga is asking people for love letters to Windsor. As part of her ongoing micro-residency, she’s requesting from a number of people that she knows in the city for a contribution to an eventual publication of sorts containing these letters among many others. She spent the weekend at BCL HQ working towards the beginnings [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Juniper-Books-150x150.jpg "Michelle Wybenga’s Micro-Residency: Love Letters to the City")
![Thinking about a good collaborative weekend project, the idea of starting a reading list came up. I have a fair collection of books and blogs in my reader that touch on a number of things that seem pertinent to Broken City Lab, but I wondered what’s out there that I’m missing. I’ll make a quick [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9092c-150x150.jpg "Reading List")
![Last night out a window in the county, the new projector at night. Today, finishing our list of 100 ways to save the city. It’s going to run as a presentation in Keynote, the easiest failsafe solution. Though, we might try to open it up on Twitter somehow later tonight. And, speaking of tonight, the [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_5327-150x150.jpg "Prepping for FAM Fest Projection")
![Day 3 of our Extended Field Trip #001 in Peterborough at Artspace was filled with design, math, and construction. Having decided that the general sense of the city is that “everything is OK,” we moved forward on printing posters and building some text that will be on display for the opening Friday night. We had many adventures [...]](http://d1ugx41kvdwavn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_3631-150x150.jpg "Extended Field Trip Day 3: Construction")
Nice find, I know some students in this semester’s Green Corridor class were working on a rainwater filtration system, using gravel, sand, and (in the spring) plants. For their project, the water would just be used for the garden… I think the new medical building on campus also employed some grey water reuse for flushing the toilets.
It reminds me of how negligent new home builders are these days. I wonder when people and builders are going to start thinking ahead. I think we’ve become too lazy in our thinking here.
I agree with the negligence comment. If people are installing elevators for their homes at almost 100k in Detroit, why can’t this be done more often? My guess is that it’s still being developed. Would grey water be any water used by the toilet, sink, etc?
I loved this video showing how simple it is, but up here in the north I know we have to deal with the cold weather and freezing. Just because we have so much fresh water around us though, we shouldn’t take it for granted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=besl1h6t6FA
Even solar panels should be used more on new construction. While I know they’re expensive, why aren’t they used more on new homes or businesses? Wind generation is something else which is under used but i’m glad to see it moving into our area recently. Even just one wind turbine in a subdivision could power things like streetlights, and other lighting. Instead so much energy is spent building huge garages on homes, which I think is such a waste.
I didn’t know people install them above-ground. Interesting. Are solar panels really that expensive? I would assume wind turbines are not cheap.
that one was on the roof of a building i think.
i have no idea how expensive solar panels are, but if i was buying a house, i would gladly have them over the cost of adding a garage. it always blows my mind how people want to give their cars a house to live in.
solar panels run almost $10,000 for the average home. I would love to get them for my home, and I might, but it’s a heck of an investment, and lots of municipalities offer subsidized solar panels. Alas, this broken city is not one of them.
i think this is current tom:
http://tinyurl.com/59kta6
if the city doesn’t, not sure if those incentives will help people in windsor.
Thinking about wind turbines needs to be shifted, right now most development is focused on large-scale wind farms… if every building had a small-scale built into the infrastructure of the building, it might make a lot more sense. As well, the city has a ban on wind turbines due to their size…
I think someone in 3rd year sculpture is going to attempt to build a working urban-scale turbine made from essentially spare parts (old metal barrel, car batteries, used alternators, etc) next semester… would be good to keep an eye out for it.
there’s a small wind turbine just down the street from me though. i should try to get a photo of it. it’s not huge, but still generates electricity. it’s in the back of a place called A Windsor Starter Alternator & Batteries
3421 Wyandotte St E . I haven’t looked for it lately though so it might be gone, but was there for quite a while and makes sense to go along with the business. i wonder if they used it as a model for one they were selling. I’ll look into it tomorrow.
this is their site:
http://www.windsorpowerhouse.com/AltEnergy.html
and you can see they promote alternative energy
Darren,
That retrofitting energy deal is for insulation and heat saving technology, but not for solar panels…as far as I know.
Thanks Tom, I misread the page. I see that place I posted about above here though has some interesting info on wind power. We walked by it on the big walk. From what Justin said I don’t think you can use wind power in Windsor. But they have/ad a wind turbine behind their shop. It’s too dark for me to see now, but I will look for it tomorrow. It was about the same size as the one shown in the photos on their site.
it was good to see this on the discovery channel yesterday
http://www.opg.com/power/hydro/new_projects/ntp/ntp_faq.asp
using water to generate power through this huge tunnel they’re digging. clean energy.