Rain

I’m sitting here in my study at 0714hrs and enjoying the sound of the rain which has become familiar over the past week. My rainwater tanks are now full and I’m wondering — as I often do when it rains like this — whether I should have shelled out for another proper 4000 litre polyethylene or colorbond thing when extending the original installation instead of improvising with 2 IBCs and a 800 litre bladder. It was a lot cheaper, of course, but I’ve sacrificed substantial capacity.

PVA and RWS stats, July 2009

PVA and RWS statistics for July 2009
(winter-2)

Back in 2006 I installed a 4000 litre rainwater tank. As part of a government water-saving initiative (we’d been in drought for many years and dam levels were at a historical low) I received a $400 government grant. A year later I added a pump and connected a toilet and the washing machine to the tank, bringing my reticulated water usage down to 110 litres a day (the average single-occupant household uses 249 litres a day).

IN 2007 I installed a grid-connected photovoltaic array with a 6KVA battery backup to offset part of my daily power requirements. I received a government grant of $8000 for this project.

I’ve been keeping daily records ever since, just for hell of it. So, without any further ado:

Photovoltaic array: grid-connected, 1.5KW with 6KVA battery backup
Commissioned: 21 Jun 2007
Power generated (July 2009): 129.10 KWH
Daily Average: 4.16 KWH
Long-term daily average: 4.71 KWH
Total CO2 saved: 3824 Kg

Total power generated: 3628 KWH
Value of power generated:  $442.67

Rainwater storage: 4000 litres
Commissioned: October 2006
Additional capacity: 2200 litres (2 x 1KL IBC), Feb 2009
Volume drawn (July 2009): 2725 litres
Daily average: 87.90 litres
Total drawn: 66,172 litres