Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside

4.PLANNING THE SITEGeothermal EnergyGeothermal heat pumps - transfer heat from the groundinto a building to provide space heating and, in somecases, to pre-heat domestic hot water. The technologyrelies on the fact that the earth (beneath the surface)remains at a relatively constant temperature throughoutthe year, warmer than the air above it during the winter.A typical system can provide 95%-100% of ahousehold’s heating requirements. The ground sourceheat pump comprises a ground loop (series of pipesburied in the ground either horizontally or vertically), aheat pump, and a distribution system.If considering the installation of a ground heat pumpsystem, you will need to provide (as a minimum) thefollowing information to Limerick County Council:Existing and proposed ground levels in the vicinity ofthe system;The total area of the heat pump;Plans showing position on the ground;Brief technical specifications such as power andnoise output (as usually supplied by themanufacturer); orGrounds for exemption (if being claimed).Biomass EnergyBiomass energy is obtained from organic materials suchas wood (chips or pellets) or natural oils (e.g. from cropssuch as rapeseed). This can be burned like aconventional fuel but unlike fossil fuels the equivalentamount of CO 2 released during burning is reabsorbed bythe new crops and forests replanted after harvesting,resulting in a zero-emission rating.Biofuels are currently 50% cheaper than fossil fuels torun.Wood/biomass pellets (highly compressed dried sawdustand bark) from sustainably managed wood sources (e.g.local woodland or specifically grown tree crops) can beburned in modern, computer-controlled boiler plant toprovide space and hot water heating.A wood pellet boiler is simple to install, and there is verylittle adjustment needed to existing plumbing ifconverting from a conventional system. Wood chipsprovide heating fuel to commercial buildings and may besuitable for domestic biomass boilers. Check with thesupplier of your boiler that it is capable of burning pelletsand chip biomass fuel. Take special care that thestandard of fuel you use complies with the operatingrequirements of your boiler.Water RecyclingRecent concerns over dwindling reserves ofgroundwater, increasing costs of domestic water supply,and costly sewage treatment plants has generatedrenewed interest in the recycling of domestic water.Techniques that need to be considered at the siteplanning stage for reducing domestic water consumptioninclude:Water butt - a simple, low cost method for collectingrainwater from the roof and storing if for use in thegarden (e.g. instead of a mains-water hosepipe forlawns, etc).Rainwater harvesting - provides an efficient andeconomic means for utilising the rainwater coming fromroofs to supply toilets, washing machines and irrigationsystems.Greywater recycling - enables slightly polluted waterfrom the bath, shower and washbasin to be reused in thehouse (e.g. for toilet flushing, in the washing machine,watering the garden or for cleaning purposes).Proprietary systems comprise modular tanks, above orunder ground, gravity fed by the greywater. The clarifiedclean water is direct pressure fed back through thehouse or to an outside tap for re-use.Generally, LCEA would suggest that grey water recyclingis not recommended unless the proper filtration anddisinfection system is used. This would normally entail areed bed filtration with resin filters followed bydisinfection (possibly UV). The use of grey water withoutproper filtration and disinfection can lead to a variety ofodour and possible indirect contamination.38.County Limerick: Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside