The green building movement is crucial to solving the energy, resource, and climate concerns facing our country.

In the United States, buildings account for 40% of the annual primary energy use; 70% of resource consumption in the U.S.; consume 40% of raw materials globally; and use 13% of all potable water.

As such, we acknowledge that an eco-friendly plumbing solution not only conserves water, but affects energy usage and consequently greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to playing a vital role in the overall condition of our ecosystem.

Accordingly, Peninsular Plumbing Company is dedicated to investing in the health of our environment and recommends implementing the following environmentally-savvy plumbing solutions into your facility.

Water Conservation

Water is one of the world’s most precious liquid assets; however Americans are wasting this resource at an alarming rate. Accordingly, the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has created Watersense, a program to help consumers decipher which products and programs meet their standards for water efficiency and performance. In addition to looking for products with the Watersense label, below are several suggestions as to how you can modify your existing plumbing applications and day to day activities to maximize water conservation.

• Retrofit all household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors. New technologies compensate for the dynamic nature of water pressure while using less water. Low-flow aerators use 30% less water than conventional faucets, or about 1.5 gallons compared to the standard 2.2 gallons per minute.
• Showerheads use similar aerator technology and multiple flow settings to save water. Low-flow shower heads save about 30% of the water a conventional shower requires, or about 1.75 gallons per minute as compared to the conventional showerheads which use around 2.5 gallons per minute.
• 25% of daily water consumption in the U.S. is used for flushing toilets thereby validating the importance of water closet conservation. Accordingly, high-efficiency toilets or HET’s use less than 1.3 gallons of water per flush compared to approximately 3.5 gallons of water used by a standard toilet.
• Check for toilet tank leaks by adding three drops of food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Flush as soon as the test is complete as the food coloring can stain the tank.
• Consider installing an insta hot water heater under your kitchen to minimize the water wasted while waiting for the temperature to heat up.
• Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness and remember to turn softeners off while on vacation.

Energy Efficiency

Energy use is the primary source of CO2 emissions which in turn causes approximately 85% of the greenhouse gases produced in the U.S. Accordingly, the health of our environment is directly related to the amount of energy we use and as such, energy conservation is of the utmost importance. When purchasing plumbing fixtures, consumers should be cognizant of the ENERGY STAR program which was developed by the EPA to identify and promote energy-efficient products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified products, below are several suggestions as to how you can incorporate energy efficiency into your plumbing solution.

• Approximately 20% of the total energy consumed is used in the transportation of water. If we use less water, we not only save water, we save energy.
• Heating water is typically the third largest energy expense in your home, accounting for about 14% of the average energy bill. As such, choosing the right type of water heater is essential. Consider a solar-powered heater, a tankless heater, or a heat pump water heating attachment to reduce energy consumption.
• Consider replacing an old water heater. Once a gas water heater has been in service for over 10 years, it is likely to operate at less than 50% efficiency.
• If a dishwasher has a "booster" heater for its water supply, the temperature can be set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is hot enough for all other household uses and, according to the DOE, for each 10 degrees the temperature is reduced, energy usage is reduced by 3% to 5%.
• Replacing a pre-1994 dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR model can save the average family $110 annually on utility bills. ENERGY STAR washers use 50% less energy than standard models with only 18 to 25 gallons of water consumed per load compared to 40 gallons used for standard full-size washers.
• Unplugging seldom-used appliances can save an average of $10 per month on utility bills.

Materials Selection

Peninsular Plumbing Company has implemented the following environmentally-conscious procedures in our office to preserve the health of our environment. Please feel free to incorporate the below in your day to day activities as well. Recycling supplies in the office and on the job site

• Utilization of business cards made from recycled materials
• Usage of eco-friendly cleaning supplies
• Email invoices to customers upon request