Does the Affordable Kitchen Trump the Sustainable Kitchen?

I received this question today from NKBA (the National Kitchen & Bath Association):

In this economy, does sustainability need to give way to affordability?

I think there is a reason that, beyond all the "greenwashing" going on by manufacturers and their ad companies, green is so hot.

Americans are looking at the changes in the weather and the predictions by climate scientists. They are listening to our new president who emphasizes global warming and our predicament every chance he gets. They are assessing the excesses of the past and making plans to do better in the future.

Those of us who still have financial resources and secure jobs in the wake of our financial crisis would like to help in putting the country back to work in ways that we can control.

One of those ways is by greening our homes. Remodeling for energy efficiency is smart remodeling because the payback grows every time the cost of energy increases. Making our drafty and inefficient homes more comfortable is a welcome bonus too.

There is great potential that government incentives will also flow to those who remodel for energy efficiency. I think that will grow. I don't see the logic in similar incentives for kitchen remodeling, other than appliance rebates.

Back to NKBA's question: I think that kitchen remodeling will give way to remodeling for energy efficiency. Kitchen remodeling dollars will shrink, but green remodeling dollars will grow - a lot. Kitchens will still be done, but I predict that the excessive kitchens of the last years are a thing of the past. Kitchens to come will be simpler, less ostentatious, and less expensive. They will have sustainable features, and quite likely be powered by solar on the roof!

Peggy