Tom LeDuc, President and CEO of LeDuc & Dexter, a licensed green plumbing company, offers some ideas and ways to efficiently heat and distribute hot water:

1) Install an efficient gas, electric or solar water heater or water heating system like the Phoenix solar water heating system or the GE GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater, which can be purchased and installed by LeDuc & Dexter.  These products are mainly for residential application and have energy rebates or tax credits available.  Energy saving commercial water heating systems are also available.

2) Use energy efficient washing machines, which have rebates available.

3) Use low flow pre-rinse sprayers for dish washing machines in hotel, restaurant and other commercial applications.

4) Use proper pipe sizing, smaller when possible, for efficient water delivery.

5) Install more efficient short runs of water piping, which cut down the amount of water to be heated in route to its destination.

6) Install an on-demand circulating system, which can be smaller in length and diameter than the overall water delivery system.

Some of these ideas can be easiest when applied to new construction, but they can also be applied to energy saving retrofit projects.   “In the past, energy efficient systems were not a priority”, says LeDuc, “now, with the green building movement and consumer awareness, they are.”