Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Can you imagine a future where projects deliver net positive results rather than simply mitigating negative impacts? The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) can! In fact, the nonprofit has set out to combat climate change by pushing for the creation of the world’s greenest buildings.
With dozens of certified projects around the globe, ILFI challenges our ideas of development, management, and sustainable living. By promoting an alternate approach, the organization hopes to create positive impacts
Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has long been a compass for the sustainable design, construction, and operation of buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Since its 1993 introduction, the program has evolved with revisions to the landscape and irrigation category that provide additional point-earning opportunities.
With LEED version 4.1, irrigation is specifically associated
Date: Thursday, June 9, 2022
So you need to spec a valve. Now what?
The first step is to consider a few essential elements. What’s the purpose of the valve? What features do you need to include? Will it need to be serviced over time? How do you connect it to the system, including pipes and wires? What size should it be? When it comes to valves, there’s much to learn. For every project you take on, the key is to design with valves in mind. Read on for a primer on valve fundamentals and selecting the correct valve.
Valves: What You
Date: Thursday, June 9, 2022
Master valves are a valuable addition to an irrigation system. But what are they? How do they work? And which features are essential? A master valve (MV) is an automatic solenoid valve wired to a sprinkler controller or pump relay. Its primary function is to control the flow of pressurized water into an irrigation mainline. To fit the needs of demanding residential and commercial applications, master valves are constructed of various materials, including glass-filled nylon, plastic, or metal. They’re
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Trees provide a range of quantifiable ecosystem services in the communities where we live, work, and play. Examples include habitat production, decreased heat island effects, energy cost savings, increased property values, shortened hospital stays, carbon sequestration, phytoremediation, and better air quality. As an irrigation designer, your objective is to ensure these benefits while removing landscape features that are not sustainable. In some cases, it could mean eliminating irrigation altogether.
The
Date: Monday, October 25, 2021
Irrigation designers encounter a wide variety of complex challenges. These include dirty water sources, unmapped infrastructure, inefficient application, short water windows, mixed hydrozones, and shrinking budgets. You must consider such factors to design a well-functioning and long-lasting system.
Often, customers only pay attention to their irrigation systems when something goes wrong.
Here are a few common concerns:
“There’s a geyser in the park lawn!”
“The sidewalks are wet.”
“There’s runoff
Date: Monday, October 25, 2021
Ten years ago, there was little discussion in our industry about sustainability. But Hunter Industries recognized the importance of conducting business with Social Responsibility in mind. Since then, we’ve dedicated ourselves to finding a balance between the people we serve, the planet we impact, and the profits we earn. We’ll mark this milestone with our 10th-annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report in 2022.
The pandemic has reinforced the idea that being outdoors plays an important role in
Date: Monday, October 25, 2021
The simplest landscape design choices often generate the greatest impacts. This is clear when your designs deliver positive effects across the built environment. These include the greening of urban areas and the enrichment of outdoor experiences. But can choosing an irrigation manufacturing partner result in significant benefits? Absolutely!
Hunter Industries manufactures top-quality irrigation products to support landscapes around the globe. But at our core, we’re a steward of the environment and the
Date: Monday, October 25, 2021
Developed landscapes provide many benefits to the environment, global economy, and local communities. Unfortunately, professional landscape industry groups are often overlooked by officials. Reasons include budgetary issues, bureaucracy, and conflicting opinions on natural resource management. Policymakers need to understand the value that landscape professionals offer.
Regulatory agencies evaluate licensed professions, including landscape architects, regularly to decide whether licensure of the
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2021
Enrollment in conventional agricultural and landscape programs has declined over the last decade. This fact has educators scrambling for new ways to attract more students. While the pandemic evoked a brief spike as a renewed interest in the green sciences grew, it wasn’t enough. New codes and standards in place today will require even more professionals with the knowledge and passion required to support the irrigation industry.
Will university programs be able to shift with this trend? Or will it be up to
