Green Kitchen Design

Energy Star kitchen appliances are approximately 75% more energy efficient than many kitchen appliances that are only a decade or two old. At the top of this list when selecting green kitchen appliances is the refrigerator. Refrigerators are the workhorses of kitchens and are traditionally notorious for consuming large amounts of energy to keep food products cold and safe.

As a result, if you want to spend your kitchen appliance budget wisely spend a few extra dollars on buying the highest rated Energy Star refrigerator you can find. After the refrigerator, the dishwasher is your next highest energy consumption hog, so again choose an Energy Star appliance with a high Energy Rating number. Green Kitchen Design and Lighting Another key area when developing a top notch green kitchen design is in the choice of lighting. Consider using low voltage lighting, such as LED strips mounted underneath the upper kitchen cabinets. Also consider using low voltage LED, CFL bulbs, and/or halogen light bulbs for spot lighting over the key kitchen workspaces.

Though more expensive than the tried and true incandescent light bulbs these types of bulbs can save you up to 75% on electricity energy costs and last a lot longer.

Select Locally Manufactured Kitchen Products

When choosing kitchen cabinets, flooring and other kitchen products for your kitchen design select ones that are made from materials indigenous to your local area. Not only will you save on manufacturing and transportation costs when purchasing these products, you’ll again reduce the negative impact to the environment on incorporating these items into your kitchen design.

Also consider buying kitchen cabinet and flooring products that are manufactured from renewable wood products, such as bamboo or cork. Water Consumption When selecting kitchen plumbing fixtures choose ones that have low flow rates or features that limit the use of water consumption. Kitchen Recyclable Bins Include a location in your green kitchen design for recyclable bins. By including recyclable bins you can do your share in reducing the amount of trash that ends up in the local landfill.

With these simple and easy tips you can develop a green kitchen design that will look great, save on annual operating energy costs, and make our planet a better place to live.