Water and energy savings – Nebia by Moen
johnchard
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
FWIW
An interesting project/new product people should take a look at…
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I’m all for efficiency, and if these guys can get a shower head that runs with less water but no noticeable difference in performance, that’s a GOOD thing. I just wish they wouldn’t talk about a “global fresh water supply”. Saving water in one region doesn’t necessarily do anything to help a distant region since fresh water supplies are tied to their regions. People in Southern California have water shortages, saving water is important there. People in the Great Lakes region have plenty of water and saving water doesn’t really matter there. Saving water in the Great Lakes region does nothing at all to help with water shortages in Southern California.
Developing cool new water saving products is good, but at least be realistic about their benefits being of more importance in some areas than others.
Bill
What gets me is how they want to control and limit everything we use. Water, which is recyclable, doesn't magically disappear after we use it. The planet is 75% water. The water cycle isn't even taught anymore. The new generation thinks we have to buy bottled water and conserve or else pay a penalty. Water is the basic necessity for all life on this planet and they want us to lower our needs and consumption or pay for it. Stop believing all their hype and find ways to get rid of these evil water barons, that alone will save us lots of water.
For everyone saying that saving water doesn't matter, don't forget that heating water accounts for a significant portion of household energy use.
So it looks like their shower is between 1.4-1.8 gpm, depending on which numbers in the marketing you believe. I've been using a 1.5 GPM High Sierra shower head for years. It's not as nice as a higher flow shower, but it's perfectly adequate, and I don't wish I had more flow. I'm not convinced there's anything special about this Moen product, besides being a shiny new product.
High Sierra makes a variety of flow rates, in case you want more or less than 1.5 gpm.
I agree, but don’t think there should be mandates as to flow rates of shower heads, especially at the national level. Advertise your shower heads flow rate and let buyers pick what they want. Those buyers looking for lower flow rates will happily buy those lower flow rate devices.
Sometimes reduced flow rates are counterproductive too. Low flow toilets, for example, especially the earlier models, needed several flushes to accomplish what the “regular” flow toilets did in one flush. The end result was INCREASED water use due to multiple flushes. Newer advancements, such as glazed traps, have helped with that.
There are many well meaning, but poorly implemented, environmental regulations. I think most of this is because regulations often come from politicians and activists that have little if any understanding of what they’re trying to regulate. Many of these issues are complex with no easy answers, so simplistic ideas often cause problems when implemented.
Bill
Our community water system is a good example of that. The intake is a small dam across from my house, where the vast majority of the water flows over the spillway and then runs into the sea several hundred yards downstream. Every year I go through the same process of explaining that our usage doesn't draw down the aquifer upstream. Even year the administrators bring in summertime water restrictions.
Maybe it's the ignorant administration that needs restrictions.
Glad I stimulated a great discussion.
As an Aussie now living in New England I am unaccustomed to the relative ‘free’ water. It’s scorched in my DNA to care about water. I think the Aussies have made admirable steps in using sensible economic thinking and water markets to solve usage and allocation. Not perfect but better than the states because we need to.
I think what’s interesting about the Nebia and why people are picking it up in Australia are,
1. It reduces flow (yes others have been around for a while) but aims to improve the shower experience, and
2. reduces heating and energy usage- a big issue in Australia where electricity is expensive
I wish I could insulate my entire house as easily.
This a wonderful forum full of brilliant people. Unfortunately we won’t save the world unless regular non-experts and naifs like me get the high performance handed up in a great product at a reasonable price.
John
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In addition to reducing water heating energy, another thing to keep in mind is that, even in water rich regions, wastewater management can be simplified by reducing outputs. Just something to consider before decrying the benefits of reduced water consumption.
Oftentimes the struggle is for clean water, not simply liquid H2O. Mixing more clean water in with a bunch of literal sh*t is seldom a wise decision (given a viable alternative), even if you're sitting on a fat juicy aquifer. It doesn't mean we've ruined the water, but it takes work (time, energy, and ultimately money) to deal with, and usually still results in at least a minor environmental detriment.
If only we could convince, or no longer allow, those who destroy eco systems to instead invest in cleaning up the mess they have already made and put their efforts into keeping it clean.
I have been using the same Whedon for over 20 years. I don't use full water pressure and it still has a great spray.
https://www.crestviewwholesale.com/SHOWERHEAD-1-9GPM-W-PUSH-BTN-p/1715051.htm