ABSTRACT
Water scarcity is a major problem today, with around 1.7 billion people living in places with a serious scarcity. For climates with more rainfall, the value of storing rainwater becomes clear when trying to build an environment that revolves around having zero-carbon emissions. Rainwater harvesting means catching and storing rainwater in tanks inserted within a building. Unfiltered, this water can be used for basic applications such as toilet flushing, clothes washing and garden irrigation. When filtered, the water can then be used for showering and catering. A polybutylene underfloor heating/cooling coil could transmit heat or coolth from an external heat pump into the insulated rainwater store, increasing the levels of energy stored in the water. Heating and cooling equipment adapted to Load-bearing foundation system would no longer need to meet peak loads, so could be smaller and run off solar energy.
