Windows (Not The One We Always Use With Our PC)

Selamat Hari Raya to all the Muslims in the world. It must be such a joyous day to have all the families sitting down together and enjoy the meals. For me, it was fun to visit my Malay friends where we had the ketupat and curry chicken. When I visited their homes, I was so surprised with the airflow in their house. They do not require air-conditioning to cool down their traditional house. And surprisingly, some of their windows were tinted. So I'd searched in the Internet about the windows that are capable of saving electrical energy bills and there are many results in the Net.

So What Are Windows?

Windows provide our homes with light, warmth, and ventilation, but they can also negatively impact a home's energy efficiency. Windows can be one of your home's most attractive features. Windows provide views, daylighting, ventilation, and heat from the sun in the colder days. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill by letting heat out.

During the hot weather, your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. You can reduce energy costs by installing energy-efficient windows in your home. If your budget is tight, energy efficiency improvements to existing windows can also help.

How to Improve Energy Efficiency of Existing Windows?

You can improve the energy efficiency of existing windows by adding storm windows, caulking and weatherstripping and using window treatments or coverings. 

Adding storm windows can reduce air leakage and improve comfort. 

Caulking and weatherstripping can reduce air leakage around windows. Use caulk for stationary cracks, gaps, or joints less than one-quarter-inch wide, and weatherstripping for building components that move, such as doors and operable windows.

Window treatments or coverings can reduce heat gain in the hot weather. Most window treatments, however, aren't effective at reducing air leakage or infiltration.

Energy Efficient Windows

If your home has very old and/or inefficient windows, it might be more cost-effective to replace them than to try to improve their energy efficiency. New, energy-efficient windows eventually pay for themselves through lower heating and cooling costs, and sometimes even lighting costs. When properly selected and installed, energy-efficient windows can help minimize your heating, cooling, and lighting costs. Improving window performance in your home involves design, selection, and installation.

There are four factors to be considered when choosing energy efficient windows: frame, glass, design and installation.

Frame: A wood frame is less prone to heat and cold transfer than an aluminium. This is because metals conduct temperature much easier than wood. But that doesn't mean wood is always the best choice for a utility-bill-friendly window. There are a variety of materials such as vinyl and wood clad which are available for window frames, and each has positive and negative aspects. It's up to you to decide what's best for your style and your budget. You may consult to the supplier.

Glass: While the material that each window is constructed from is important, the reality is what's the most important are all about what's inside the frame. A double-paned window with Low-E glass, with a vacuum-sealed argon fill can help in the energy saving of a building. A Low-E, argon-filled, double-paned windows provide significantly more insulation than a single-pane window. These windows protect the inside of the house from the sun's heat and UV rays in the hot days, and they prevent heat from escaping during cold days. From the standpoint of energy efficiency and value, these types of windows make a lot of sense. Like the energy savvy people always say: "just adds cost and gives diminishing returns in efficiency". When you go out and buy a window, you may check out this rating:

• U-value: measures a window unit's resistance to heat loss
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): measures how much heat enters a home through the glass

Design: There are many types of window design out in the market and you will have to choose smartly on which design suits your home or office. Some window designs are inherently more efficient than others. The most common types:

• Double-hung windows: These are traditional units in many homes across the country, and they're especially common in old buildings. With double-hung windows, the bottom slides up to open the unit. They can be efficient choices, but in really extreme climates, they may not be the best option because of the potential for air intrusion between the sliders.
• Casement windows: Popular in climates where wind is an issue, these units which have a crank that swings the window outward to open, actually seal themselves off tighter when wind blows in toward the house. However, they do require maintenance on hinges and seals to ensure their continued stability and efficiency.
• Picture windows: These windows usually don't open and come in many different shapes and sizes, but that doesn't mean they can't be efficient — glass choice and gas-filled interiors are especially important in these larger units.

Installation: You will still have the same energy losses although you have  put up an energy efficient window if there's no proper installation done. Don't overlook the importance of proper installation because even the most expensive window unit won't perform effectively if it's not installed correctly. You must always be wary of any contractor who relies too heavily on expanding foams or sealants to get a window to fit well as these materials aren't waterproof and can lead to problems down the road. Pre-installation waterproofing, often completed long before windows are installed, is the best option. Flashing and proper caulking may be the cheapest parts of window installation, but if they're not done with an eye to detail, the ensuing water leaks will cause a barrage of problems that should have been easily prevented.

Cost

An energy efficient window can cost about RM30k to RM57k for a typical home. The range for energy-efficient window pricing is wide, but Energy Star-qualified windows start around RM350 for a 36-inch-by-72-inch, single-hung window and can go up to 10 times of that. With labor, you’re looking at about RM1,000 to RM3,000 per window. Typically, windows at the low end of the price spectrum are less energy efficient.

But that doesn't mean the numbers can’t make sense for you. For starters, window replacement is one of the best home remodeling projects in terms of investment return: For vinyl windows, you can recoup 72.9% of the project cost in added home value, which provides national averages for various remodeling projects. The Return of Investment (ROI) on wood windows is at about 78%.

You’re most likely able to see modest savings on your energy bill. In general, you’ll save roughly RM500 to RM1,800 a year if single-pane windows in a 2,000-square-foot house are replaced with energy efficient windows. Keep in mind, though, that the savings can vary widely by climate, local energy costs, and the energy efficiency of both the windows purchased and the windows being replaced. The most efficient windows on the market are usually the most expensive, but it’s not necessary to buy the highest-end products to realize utility bill savings or improve comfort and aesthetics. For that reason, think long and hard before committing to new windows.

Pros & Cons

Advantages of Energy-Saving Windows

An energy efficient window consists of two or more panes of specially-treated glass with a layer of an inert gas, such as argon, trapped between the panes. Argon does not transfer heat well and so acts as an energy “blanket” between the sheets of glass, preventing the room’s warmth from escaping through the window.

Energy-efficient window glass is also specially treated with a thin film of metallic particles which are designed to reflect away the sun’s UV rays while at the same time trapping the heat that is in a room and reflecting it back into the home. The result is an immediate saving on utility bills for the homeowner, but more than that, the view through an energy efficient double-paned window is virtually as clear and unobstructed as the view through an untreated single-pane window.

There are standards (depending on each region) that rates windows for their insulating properties, their visual transmittance (how easily they can be seen through), their solar gain coefficient (how well they protect a room from the sun’s heat and UV rays) and air leakage around the edges of the windows.

The new energy-efficient glass is more expensive than old-fashioned standard windows. However, the initial cost should not be the only factor when deciding on new windows. By calculating the energy saved each month, we determine how much money will be saved each month on utility costs. In this way the homeowner can see exactly how long it will take for the new windows to pay for themselves and how much extra money the homeowner can enjoy each month. The homeowner should also keep in mind that as energy prices rise in the future, their savings will also increase with time.

One final advantage to double-paned windows is outside noise reduction. Homeowners who replace single pane windows with double paned windows, especially windows with a high Energy Star rating, report that street noise is reduced considerably, making for an overall more comfortable living environment.

Disadvantages of Energy-Saving Windows

Probably the biggest drawback to energy windows is the initial cost. Many homeowners, especially if they are planning to replace a number of windows, might see costs of 10% to 15% more for double-paned energy windows as opposed to double paned non-energy efficient windows. For a home with several windows, the added cost can increase the bottom line quite a lot. Double-paned windows are heavier than single paned windows, and for some homeowners that might be a drawback.

In order to see any significant energy savings each month, a homeowner must replace all older windows with the new, higher-priced energy efficient windows at the same time. No appreciable savings will result from simply replacing one old, leaky window with a new high-efficiency window while leaving all the others in place. However, replacing all the windows at the same time can be a large job and can also be expensive.

It is also necessary for homeowners to be quality-conscious when buying high-efficiency windows. Off brands or cut-rate windows may not be properly sealed and can cause more problems than they solve. Poorly insulated double-paned windows can allow condensation to form between the windowpanes, indicating that the windows are not doing their job properly. Saving money up-front by buying lower-priced windows may not result in the energy savings that the homeowner had planned on. This situation can be eliminated by only dealing with reputable companies who have years of experience installing high-efficiency windows and who only sell quality windows.

Should You Change Your Windows?

Although replacing old windows with energy efficient ones will save you money on your energy bill, other approaches can be more effective and cost you less to implement.It is recommended that the homeowner should start with window insulation, which can be as simple as covering the windows in plastic. You should first check your home for leaks, including heating and cooling ducts, doors and cracks. Improve your home's insulation but consider replacing windows if you notice moisture entering your house because that can lead to mold growth, which is more dangerous than high energy costs.

Energy Efficient Refrigerator

These few days have been a very unpredictable days. There are times when there're heavy rains, and then there're times when the Sun is shining tremendously hot without any clouds at all. The temperature has been ranging in between 26-37 degrees Celsius. During the hot weather, we would usually get some ice-creams or cold drinks and we stored them in our refrigerator. We all know that the refrigerator is switched on 24/7 (meaning it is switched on although you are not using it).

So by knowing that the refrigerator is on all the time, how do we manage its usage so that the energy bills won't be that high? Well, according to a study done by the local authority, the electrical energy usage is about 8% of the total energy bill.

Although it is only 8% but can we further reduce it? The answer is yes, with the replacement of the old conventional refrigerator with an energy efficient refrigerator.

How Does A Refrigerator Operate?

We all know that refrigerator's function is to keep our foods and material under environment control, meaning the control of temperature. but do you know how the refrigerator system make it happen? In the refrigeration cycle, there are five basic components: fluid refrigerant; a compressor, which controls the flow of refrigerant; the condenser coils (on the outside of the fridge); the evaporator coils (on the inside of the fridge); and something called an expansion device. Here’s how they interact to cool your food.

The compressor constricts the refrigerant vapor which will result in raising its pressure, and then pushes it into the coils on the outside of the refrigerator. 

When the hot gas in the coils meets the cooler air temperature (ambient temperature) of the kitchen, it becomes a liquid. 

The liquid form is now at a high pressure condition, so the refrigerant cools it down as it flows into the coils inside of the freezer and the fridge. 

The refrigerant absorbs the heat inside of the refrigerator and thus cooling down the air. 

Lastly, the refrigerant evaporates into a gas and then flows back to the compressor, where the cycle starts all over again.

Old vs New

So now you will ask: Why would I change to a newer energy efficient refrigerator when I have the old non-efficient refrigerator still working in my kitchen? 

The answer is that you do not need to change it now but just need to understand the "whys" before considering it.

1) You pay twice for an inefficient refrigerator.

If you have an older fridge, it's getting cool on the inside by running a motor that makes the room itself warmer, just like a heater would. If you have air conditioning, it has to work that much harder (also using electricity) to remove the heat from your house — so there's a double-whammy penalty for having an inefficient fridge.

2) New Energy Star models are much, much more efficient than older refrigerators.

By replacing an older fridge (eg. 1998 model) with an Energy Star model (of the same design, size, etc.) that you could buy today, you would use less than 1/2 the electricity. If you got a more efficient design (i.e. freezer on top instead of side-by-side), it would use 1/4 as much. If you got the most efficient model of the most efficient design, it would use about 1/6th as much electricity. And none of this accounts for the important point that all of that inefficiency is released in the form of heat, which makes your house hotter!

Cost

Fridges and freezers like other white goods, are rated according to their energy efficiency. The Energy Commission Energy Label grades products from 5 (best) to 1 (worst) for energy use. Top performing products carry the Energy Saving Recommended logo, which means the product meets strict criteria set by the government and the Energy Saving Trust. That means you can trust the energy ratings that are handed out.

But, with fridges and freezers, this isn't the only consideration. The EC rating is a rating based on energy consumption per litre or cubic foot of storage, and it's easier to make a machine more efficient if it's larger. So a larger A-rated fridge may be more energy-efficient, but can consume more electricity than a smaller B-rated model.

That's why it's important to buy the smallest fridge and/or freezer you can for your needs, because typically a smaller appliance will cost you less to run. To determine running costs and to compare them across different makes and models, look at the annual consumption figure in kWh, which can also be found on the energy label. The lower this figure the more economical the fridge will be to run.

If you're choosing a new fridge and freezer it's worth remembering that a unit with the freezer on top, or underneath, the fridge is more energy-efficient than a side-by-side unit, which uses up to 20% more energy. So, if this will fit in your kitchen, it's definitely the most efficient option.

Smart Home

Good evening, everyone. I believe many people are now following the news on Greece economy bailouts, the US Federal interest rates and even the Malaysia's 1MDB saga. From the news, we are also learning that there are many properties project that is being launched such as Green City, Iskandar, Nusajaya, etc. Well, from all these property development, are there any residential houses that are built smartly? So this is the topic that I would like to discuss about, Smart Home.

What is a Smart Home?

So what do we know about Smart Home? Is it a home building that has a mind of it own? Is it a home building that can think by itself? Well relatively, yes. A smart home is a building, usually a new one, that is equipped with special structured wiring to enable occupants to remotely control or program an array of automated home electronic devices by entering a single command. For example, a homeowner on vacation can use a Touchtone phone to arm a home security system, control temperature gauges, switch appliances on or off, control lighting, program a home theater or entertainment system, and perform many other tasks.

It incorporates advanced automation systems to provide the inhabitants with sophisticated monitoring and control over the building's functions. Smart homes use 'home automation' technologies to provide home owners with 'intelligent' feedback and information by monitoring many aspects of a home. For example, a smart home's refrigerator may be able to catalogue its contents, suggest menus, recommend healthy alternatives, and order replacements as food is used up. A smart home might even take care of feeding the pets and watering the plants.

Design

There are many ways on how a Smart Home can be designed but whatever the design comes out to be, the concept is still the same: protects your family and property, saves your money, and makes you feel like a superhero by giving you powers you’ve only dreamed of (Iron Man movie franchise).

Smart Lock - We think that doors should do more than just sit there on their dumb metal hinges. In a smart home, your door automatically unlocks when you approach, and locks behind you when you leave. (Feel free to put your keys in the same place where you put your VCR.) You also never have to wait around for service providers, leave keys under the mat, or hand out spares to your neighbors, because you can lock or unlock your door to let other people in with a simple tap of a button, wherever you are. Since all smartphones have GPS sensing built into them, all you need to do is to select your home location using the apps, install a smart lock, and that’s it. No need to fumble around for keys when you’re carrying groceries or kids, because your door will automatically unlock or lock whenever you come and go from the area you’ve defined as “home.”

Smart Lights - Do you know that lights account for more than 10% of a home’s energy consumption? Smart lights can save your money and secure your home by automatically reacting to your daily routines and preferences. You can set your lights to slowly brighten when you want to wake up , turn on when you’re away to make it look like someone is home, turn off automatically when you leave the house, and so much more.

Once you’ve plugged in your dumb lamp, screwed in your smart light bulb, or installed your in-wall switch, you can control one light or a bunch of lights with a simple tap of a button in the smartphone's app. But things get really cool when you set your lights to automatically turn on and off when different things happen. To do this, you can either set different rules or you can customize different actions to take place around your daily routines. All these can be done with the apps that are available, along with the hardware technologies.

Smart Air Conditioning - Never sweat your monthly energy bill again because by automatically turning down your thermostat, your A/C unit, or your portable heater when you’re away, you are not only help our planet by living green, but also help yourself by saving some serious green (money). You can set a smart thermostat or portable heating/cooling unit to adjust to a certain level whenever different events take place–such as when you leave home or to make sure that you always step back into a comfortable crib, you can also adjust your home’s temperature from your phone whenever you want or like, even when you’re leaving work to come home each day. After installing a smart thermostat, you can turn it on, off, or adjust it directly from the smartphone apps. If you have a window A/C unit or portable heater, you can turn that on or off directly from the apps as well, or set it to automatically adjust when different events take place.

Smart Security System - Do you know what isn’t smart? Paying for a traditional security system that will rob you blindly with monthly fees, closed contracts, and installation fees. With the smartphone apps, you can lock and unlock your doors from anywhere, control and automate your lights from wherever you are, trigger a blaring siren to ring if there’s unwanted motion or entry, and get immediate alerts if doors or windows open unexpectedly.By using the free SmartThings app, you can easily automate and control things like lights and locks to secure your home from anywhere. SmartThings lets you let you check in and see what’s happening at home when you’re on the go and to react to unexpected events. By placing a smart sensor on doors and windows, you can receive immediate alerts if they're opened when you’re away or asleep. By placing a smart motion sensor in your home, you can get immediate notifications if movement is detected in your home. And by pairing an alarm or a smart power outlet to your smart motion sensors, you can trigger lights to turn on or a loud siren to sound whenever unexpected entry or movement occurs.

Smart Leak Detector - Here’s a not-so-fun fact that I would like to share with you all: according to the HomeAdvisor.com the average cost to repair home water damage throughout the United States is about US$2,066 and that is not a small amount of money. We know that a minor leak can quickly escalate into devastating damage. In a smart home, you can get an immediate alert whenever excessive water is detected at where it doesn’t belong. And by notifying you of the problem, you can address the issue or call a neighbour or family member to prevent a headache from costing you a fortune. This can be done by simply place a moisture sensor in an area of your home that’s prone to leaking or flooding (such as under an old pipe, in a basement, or near a washing machine), and you’ll receive an instant alert on your smartphone as soon as water is detected. If you happen to have a siren or smart lights, you can also trigger lights to flash or change color, or a siren to sound if a leak is detected.

Smart Family Connection - In the old days, maybe the only thing more annoying than sending a text message to your kids to ask where they are, is by asking your kids to teach you how to send a text message. Checking in with those who matters the most should be easier. Now with the technology out there, it is. Just as you use your smartphone to check in with friends and followers on social media, now you can use your smartphone to easily and effortlessly check in on family members and pets. You get to know when the kids have came home from school each day, when cars arrive in the driveway, or when pets unexpectedly leave the house. Since all smartphones have GPS sensing, you can use the smartphone apps to receive a notification whenever family members arrive in the area you set as your “home.” You may ask that some people like young children, parents or pets do not carry a smartphone, so how do we do it? Simple. Place a SmartSense Presence sensor in their backpack, purse or around their collar to know when they come and go, and in the case of pets, if they plan a daring unexpected escape!

Smart Protection - This is totally different from Smart Security System which I'd mentioned earlier. This smart protection is for the kids at home. While you’d love to be there to watch your children’s every move, chances are you don’t have eyes in the back of your head. That’s where a smart home comes in. Since home security should extend inside your home too, it also allows you to protect your family by monitoring and securing dangerous and off-limit areas. You can get immediate alerts if children open things like cleaning supply cabinets, medicine drawers, or worst, gun cases. By placing a Smartsense multi sensor on a door, window, drawer, or cabinet of an off-limit area, you’ll be able to receive an immediate notification if these things are opened unexpectedly. And if you have smart lights or an alarm, you can even choose to trigger your lights to flash or change color, or your alarm to sound when off-limit areas are accessed.

Availability & Sustainability

So with all the benefits that we had seen for a Smart Home user's perspective, we would ask if it's readily available in the market? And how far can it go to produce the same comfort? After years of hype, home control and automation products are gaining speed, enabling these types of scenarios in what marketers call the smart home. Technology professionals say hardware prices have decreased dramatically over the past few years, making home control goods far more affordable. Retailers are eager to be a sales channel for these products and related services, rather than technology companies.

We should be doing more with less and, wherever possible, we should aim for self-sufficient, off-grid homes, as this benefits our environment and us. But technology also brings a certain amount of extra clutter - gadgets, remote controls and wiring, therefore designers need to make furniture that conceals things better. Nobody wants to see power points and cables lying aroud the house. Designers need to think about where to hide them without making them difficult to access. It takes a lot of effort to make something look effortless.

Pros & Cons

For those who enjoy the convenience of home automation, smart home devices fit the bill. Smart home technology can control everyday tasks such as starting the coffeemaker just before the user’s alarm goes off so that the coffee will be hot and ready by the time the user walks into the kitchen. Other devices control various features of automated home security, such as the ability to remotely monitor motion sensing cameras or activate the security system automatically at the time you normally go to bed.

The smart thermostat, for example, learns the behaviors of its users, such as when they go to work and come home, so the thermostat adjust the temperature of the home to an energy-efficient temperature until just before the user arrives. This saves money on the monthly electricity bill as well as maintains the proper temperature for its users so they don’t have to.

However, smart home technology can be expensive. It can also require expensive add-ons that will replace existing fixtures eg. light switches and controls may need to be changed out from basic light switches to "smart" controls that are able to accept input from the programs that you have in place to run the software that keeps your smart home together. Many of these devices do not yet communicate with each other or even on the same network. Smart home tech companies use different proprietary systems of communication, and users must have an app for each individual device rather than one app that controls them all.

The wireless signals for smart home technology can often be interrupted by complex electronic devices such as televisions and computers, and this can lead to phantom signals, weak signals and unreliable operation. Any additional electronic device added to a smart home can potentially cause problems with the existing wireless smart home technology.

Ultimately, a smart home is one that makes everyday tasks easier for homeowners - everything from switching lights on and off, to setting a security alarm when you leave the house, to managing the home heating and cooling. Life will be much more convenient if all the devices and appliances within the home are connected, allowing them to synchronise and communicate with each other to anticipate a homeowner's actions and habits. Homes are smart only when they enhance the quality of life for those living in them.

Rainwater Harvest

Hello everyone, how are you? For those who have just started to read this blog, it's all about what option or steps that you can take to use energy efficiently at your home or your office. So how is the weather out there? Now that the El Nino has strike, many areas are being flooded by the rainstorm. So I was thinking, with so much of rain, is there any ways to reuse the rain water? I'd found out that there is such a way and it's called Rainwater Harvesting.

What is Rainwater Harvesting?

We have many rainy seasons especially in South East Asia but how does rain happen? In order for it to rain, the air must be saturated: The relative humidity must be 100 percent, or very close to it. How does that happen? By lowering the temperature or bringing in more water vapor. But if we just bring in more water vapor and nothing else happens, we're still just stuck with microscopic droplets. So let's focus on lowering the temperature. The temperature can be lowered by a colder wind, possibly coming from the north. But those north winds contain less water vapor, so the temperature may lower, but the humidity could remain the same.

So since we are having rains for almost half of the year, we should make use of it. We call this as rainwater harvesting. It is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to run off. Its uses include water for garden, water for livestock, water for irrigation, water for domestic use with proper treatment, and indoor heating for houses etc. In many places, the water collected is just redirected to a deep pit with percolation. The harvested water can be used as drinking water as well as for storage and other purpose like irrigation.

Rainwater harvesting provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions and in developed countries is often used to supplement the main supply. It provides water when there is a drought, can help mitigate flooding of low-lying areas, and reduces demand on wells which may enable ground water levels to be sustained. It also helps in the availability of potable water as rainwater is substantially free of salinity and other salts.

How to Design It?

There are many technologies in the market that can be used in the rainwater harvesting process.  The rainwater can be collected from virtually any surface, but yet bare rooftops generally yield the best quality rainwater with the least treatment. Not all of the rainwater that strikes a roof can be collected: water is lost from evaporation, blowing wind, overflowing gutters, and leaky collection pipes, first-flush devices, and self-cleaning filters. 

On average, Asians use 70 gallons per person per day to operate toilets, showers, clothes-washers, sinks, and other water-using fixtures and appliances. By replacing fixtures and appliances with modern water-efficient versions and repairing leaks, water usage can be reduced to less than 50 gallons per person per day. 

The most appropriately sized rainwater storage can be chosen by quantitatively assessing the performance of various sized storage capacities. By assessing the performance of various sized storage capacities, it is possible to make an informed decision as to what would be the most suitably sized storage capacity for the given application. The input for the assessment is historical daily rainfall data, and the performance of a particular storage capacity can be judged by how much water is required to be supplied from other sources to makeup for any shortfall in demand.

One of the ways to collect rainwater is the RainSaucer. Instead of using the roof for catchment, the RainSaucer, which looks like an upside down umbrella, collects rain straight from the sky. This decreases the potential for contamination and makes potable water for developing countries a potential application. Other applications of this free standing rainwater collection approach are sustainable gardening and small plot farming.

Pros & Cons

Every technology out there will surely have its own upsides and downsides. The rainwater harvesting is not excluded. So I'll share what are the pros and cons of this rainwater harvesting.

Upsides:

• Collection, storage and usage of rainwater helps to relieve pressure on the domestic water supply. Therefore, the environment from where it is extracted has positive impact on the water catchments by reducing the impact on the ecological water reserve.
• Provides clean water sources, especially in urban areas for a wide variety of uses.
• Saves money on the water bill.
• No pump is required, therefore no energy is needed.
• Water from the harvest contains less chlorine and other chemicals used in water treatment, so there is less chance of chemical build-up in soils.
• Water from the harvest is softer due to fewer additives, such as limescale, therefore it's better for laundry in hard water areas.
• It decreases urban flooding.

Cons:

• Rainwater contains small traces of bird and animal faeces, dust, mosses, lichens, pollution particulates, dissolved gasses and other airborne ions, thus filtration and purification may be needed of water is to be used for consumption.
• Rainwater harvest installation is quite a tedious work.
• Requires space and may detract aesthetic value.
• The water from the harvest is sometimes not suitable for drinking.
• Rainfall is often seasonal, which means there is still reliance on domestic water supply.
• The initial cost for tanks and pipings are costly.

Financial Analysis

Calculating the cost of a setting up a rainwater harvesting system can be difficult as it depends on a range of factors apart from the initial outlay for the tank and pump system. If you are retrofitting to an old build this can also include:

• The cost of putting in the new conduit or piping to feed utilities like the toilet or washing machine.

• Shaping water collection from your roof with new guttering that feeds into your rainwater harvesting tank.

• Excavating the area outside your property if you are planning to have the water tank underground.

It will cost Malaysians between RM1,500 and RM10,000 to install a rainwater harvesting system to guarantee uninterrupted water supply in their homes and office buildings when taps run dry. An expert said the cost depended on the tank size, the installation location (under the roof or front yard or the balcony) and the usage of pump and filter for the system. Most people do not install the rain water harvesting (RWH) system because they think it would be very expensive and would require a lot of space.

The rainwater harvesting and recycling systems implemented successfully in several countries, including Australia and India. The retention, collection and reuse of rain water as well as diverting of river water into nearby ponds should be a focus to ensure that the country do not face a water crisis in the future. Housing estates should also be equipped with rainwater harvesting systems to reduce the use of treated water. The expert said RWH systems are environmentally sound and can help reduce public demand for water from water concessionaires.

Whilst installing a rainwater harvesting system to reduce your mains usage has a number of advantages, you can also save a lot of money and reduce costs by taking a more holistic approach to your daily consumption. These can include:

• Install a low flush toilet or put a plastic bottle filled with water into your cistern (reducing the amount of water it fills with). An average flush of a toilet uses around 13 litres of water each time you pull that handle.
• When you brush your teeth, don’t leave the water running. It sounds like a simple thing to do but many people waste water by letting the tap run for a whole two minutes while they polish those dentures.
• Buy a water efficient washing machine or dishwasher and only use when there is a full load, using the economy setting.
• If you have dripping taps then make the effort to buy new washers and mend them – it may not seem a lot but over a year can make you savings.