Sizing of home rain harvesting systems using temporal data series

Abstract

Home rain harvesting systems are gaining acceptance as an alternative to water supply from distribution networks for non-sanitary uses. This boom has not been accompanied by rigorous technical criteria for the sizing of the elements that make up the system. The aim of this paper is to present some methodologies for sizing rainwater tanks based on functional and/or economical criteria. The result will be a series of equations to calculate the required volume of the tank. In view of the results, it can be verified that the dimensions obtained by applying functional criteria are very different from those resulting from the application of economic criteria and the final decision on the choice of either approach is dependent on the characteristics of the buildings.