A well-planned landscape can enhance the beauty of your home and boost energy efficiency for years to come. Your landscaping decisions should depend on the climate where you live—whether it is typically warm, cool, or varies greatly with both high and low temperatures. Follow these tips from the Energy Education Council to develop a landscape that will save you money for years.
The biggest consideration in landscaping to increase winter efficiency is creating windbreaks to stop wind chills from having as much of an effect on the temperature around your home. Here are some important tips on planting windbreaks:
• Dense trees, such as evergreens and shrubs make the best windbreaks.
• Do not plant trees too close to the south of your home if you plan on using sunshine to help heat your home. A good rule is to plant your trees at a distance of 2 to 5 times the tree’s mature height.
• If snow drifts are a problem, plant shrubs on the windward side of your windbreak to help trap snow.
The biggest consideration in summer landscaping is shading your home from the heat. These tips will help you cut back on your cooling costs:
• To the south of your home, plant tall trees to provide shade. If you plant these trees far enough away (2 to 5 times the length of a grown tree), you will still be able to allow sunshine to warm your home in the winter.
• To the west of your home, shorter trees and shrubs will provide protection from the afternoon rays of the sun, which fall at shorter angles.
• Bushes around the perimeter of your home provide shade and absorb the sun’s rays. Avoid dense plants in areas where humidity is a problem. Air needs to be allowed to flow freely to keep the soil from becoming over-saturated.
Visit EnergyEdCouncil.org for more tips on energy safety and efficiency.
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