Rainwater Harvesting

1. Roof flush - dump first X gallons into a tank (slowly drains into gutter) that overflows into staging
   1. Optional float valve decreases cross contamination


2. Staging - holding tank to give pump a chance to run in cycles


3. Storage - Single point of piping attachment - fill and drain are same plug on bottom + screened vent on top
   1. Overflow and level read are the same standpipe by one of the tanks

Alternatively, instead of having staging downhill and pumping to storage uphill, have the storage downhill (even underground) and pump water as it's used. One or more irrigation supply tanks could take water pumped up from storage, using gravity to feed the drip lines. Overflow from these tanks could wet the roof, providing many additional benefits:

1. Wetting the roof means that overflow (outside of evaporation) ends back into storage, closing the loop.


2. The evaporation would be a possible alternative way to cool the house and surrounding area.


3. Left running continuously (or until there was no more water in storage) provides some protection against external fires.

References:

1. An Oregon household built a full Rainwater Harvesting and Purification System that provided water to the whole house.


2. Harvest H2O has a number of articles
   
   
   1. A comparison of storage systems shows the pros and cons of different containers.
   
   
   2. A floating filter intake ensures you get the best of the water in the storage tank.
   
   

14-Apr-2009

Another late-nite idea: Site permitting, the downhill cistern can be hidden in an underground shed. Appropriate roofing allows for a garden with shallow roots (flowers, etc). The uphill wall already needs drainage, which could share plumbing with the overflow lines.

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BitBus

What is BitBus?

BitBus is a generalized information pump, designed to work similar to an enterprise service bus, but implemented on a personal/household level.

BitBus News

• 11-Mar-2009 - BitBus has been in development for a couple months, but this is the start of this page. The system is capable of getting information from the system itself, from a date/time schedule, and from web pages and RSS feeds. It can create outputs to a database, email, and to a secondary (LCD) display.


• 14-Apr-2009 - After getting a basic framework functional, I realized that I've painted myself into a corner. By creating discrete input and output classes, I've isolated data lines that should be shareable (for example, a serial port to a LCD display could easily be both input [i.e. button press] and output [display]). A refactoring plan is in place and coding has started. I still have the source control save point if I later realize I've simply lost my mind.

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System Architecture

Technologies and Resources:

• BitBus


• Insteon (and X10)


• Microcontrollers


• Power Over Ethernet


• Rainwater Harvesting

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Use Cases

This is a list of use cases, along with potential tangible benefits:

• Garage Door Monitor
  
  
  • Ensures doors are closed when house is secured (away, night)
  
  
  • Allows automation of opening doors (GPS-tracked car nears)
  
  
  • Provides temperature monitoring of garage
  
  
  • Potential gateway for irrigation I/O


• Irrigation Control
  
  
  • Allows monitoring of rainwater harvesting system
  
  
  • Allows postponement of irrigation during rainy weather
  
  
  • Automatic (or prompted) draining of the system during overnight freezes (or winterization)
  
  
  • Gravity-feed irrigation system can save electricity (use a pump instead of solenoid valves
  
  
  • Irrigation overflow can feed directly onto wetting roof
    
    
    • Provides a closed-loop system so overflow is recaptured
    
    
    • Provides additional external fire protection
    
    
• Programmable Thermostat
  
  
  • Provides smarter use of HVAC beyond simple set-back
  
  
  • Allows monitoring of HVAC use and settings
  
  
• Powered windows/shades
  
  
  • Provides smarter temperature control beyond simple set-back HVAC
  
  

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Is this a blog or a wiki? (Introduction)

My intention is to document my interests and ideas for intelligent homes here. I'm using a blog engine to hold the information, but I mean to use it as a kind of wiki. I will be editing and posting old and new entries, covering such topics as Power Over Ethernet, mini web servers, and intelligent control systems.

While I've always been interested in gadgets, my budget limits me to things that can provide a measurable improvement to my life. A gadget that pays for itself by saving me money is golden, while one that simply makes it easier to turn the lights on without getting off my couch is not quite so important.

Table of Contents:

1. Use Cases


2. System Architecture
   
   
   1. BitBus
   
   
   2. Rainwater Harvesting