Landscaping Saves Energy

A period of cold weather is a good time to consider the effect landscaping can have on energy use inside your home.

It has been estimated that carefully planted trees can lower your annual heating and cooling costs by up to 25 percent. There is the benefit too of improving the look of your home and adding to its value.

Most people appreciate the look of a home with nice landscaping. Well-maintained trees, shrubbery, hedges and other landscaping features certainly improve the looks of a property. From an energy standpoint, this same landscaping helps provide much-needed shade in summer and a channel for breezes and warmth in winter.

Trees with high spreading leaves and branches work well on the south side of a home because they will protect the house in summer when the sun is at its highest point. To get the most out of the sun’s benefits in winter, you want to plant trees that lose their leaves so they allow the warmth into the home when you want it.

Trees with their fullest crowns closer to the ground are best suited for the west side of the home to help block the afternoon sun, which is lower in the sky. Studies have found that landscaping can lower summer cooling costs by as much as 50 percent. One study conducted in Pennsylvania on small mobile homes found air-conditioning savings of up to 75 percent from landscaping.

At this time of the year, trees can channel winds away from the home and act as windbreaks to protect your house from the wind. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that a study in South Dakota found that windbreaks (including trees, fences and other objects) on the north, west and east sides of a home reduced fuel consumption in winter by an average of 40 percent. Putting in windbreaks on just the windward side of the house can lower fuel consumption by 25 percent over homes that are not protected from winds.

Department of Energy computer models have estimated that planting three trees in the right places around a home can lower energy costs by as much as $250 each year.

If you are planning to build a home, work closely with your builder on the orientation of your home and its site on the lot. Your home’s exposure to the wind, sun, water and other geographical features can have a big effect on its energy use.

The author, Ken Sheinkopf, is associate director for the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, Fla.

Source: The Orlando Sentinel