Energy saving ideas for a remodeled kitchen

Appliances are the easy part; always choose Energy Star products, such as dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, room air cleaners and purifiers, and water coolers.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Energy Star is celebrating 20 years of helping consumers and businesses save money.

Beyond the Energy Star label on appliances, choose wisely for which appliances to install for every day use. Many are replacing traditional cooking ovens with convection ovens for regular use. Convection ovens cook faster, requiring less energy. Many people also are installing a second, smaller refrigerator unit, often under a counter, similar to a dishwasher profile. Using this smaller unit with easy temperature recovery for quick and frequent access items helps your larger refrigerator maintain its efficient temperature and work less by being opened less frequently.

The water heater which supplies all of your hot water for dishwashing (and, the bathrooms, too) can be converted to a solar water heater, allowing the natural process of the sun to comfortably heat your water instead of electricity.

By the nature of cooking, kitchens generate a lot of heat, which can cause your air conditioning to kick on more often. There is one well-established choice to help with the kitchen heat - install ceiling fans to keep the air moving and the temperature down. A second, newer and very efficient choice includes the new zoned or single room specific central air conditioning systems, which allow you to cool or heat only desired, specified parts of your home instead of the entire structure. With a designated kitchen zone, you can keep the kitchen comfortable without dramatically lowering the temperature in the rest of the house.

As you select the building materials for your remodeled kitchen, search them for the same Energy Star label and guarantees you find on appliances. The environmental efficiency of any structure - or room or area such as a kitchen - is only as good as the building materials. Energy Star building materials add efficiency which can last for years just because you made good choices in the beginning.