Spring is upon us-what better time to give your home a boost with a remodeled bathroom? Remodeling is a great time to make energy-efficiency improvements, which means you can be just as green as the spring that's sprung. 

So let's run down a few of the most effective ways to give your bathroom the Earth-friendly makeover you desire.

First, water. What's more important to a bathroom than water, especially piping hot water? Heating water accounts for a large amount of energy use in bathrooms, so upgrading to a new water heater is a top priority. Consider a tankless water heater, which only heats the amount of water you need when you need it so no energy is wasted in "stand-by" heating. An intermediary option is the indirect heater, which is more energy-efficient than a tanked heater but easier and cheaper than tankless.

Whether you go with a tankless or tank-encumbered heater, making the switch to natural gas will also be a good move. Gas heaters are considered the most efficient, and if you go with a gas-powered integrated heater, which will heat both your water and your house, you're getting very green indeed.

To get even greener in your water heating, though, consider putting a hot water recirculation pump on the water-using fixture farthest away from the heater, which will cycle the water already in the pipes back to the heater, which keeps the heater from having to expend the energy to heat cold water drawn from outdoors.

Another water-saving measure is the low-flow toilet, since ordinary toilets account for almost a third of the indoor water an average home uses daily. Going to low-flow will reduce an average person's annual water use from 27,300 gallons to 12,500 gallons, a reduction of more than half.

While you're doing these water fixes, consider installing newer-model showerheads and faucets, which can dramatically reduce water use. Low-flow showerheads, for example, cut your water usage but not your water pressure. If you're not replacing your showerhead, faucet and toilet, look for leaks around your old ones, another source of water waste.

Next, materials. An earth-friendly upgrade to think about is installing sustainable materials in your bathroom. Including bamboo, cork, wheat board, eucalyptus wood or local stone in your redesign will save you from installing materials that produce a lot of pollution, are heavy on pesticides, or take a lot of energy to produce.