This information is from The US Department of Energy. Find this article and many other online at The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.
Landscaping is a natural and beautiful way to keep your home more comfortable
and reduce your energy bills. In addition to adding aesthetic value and
environmental quality to your home, a well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can
deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce overall energy bills.
Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy
for heating and cooling. Computer models from DOE predict that just three trees,
properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and
$250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually. During the summer months, the
most effective way to keep your home cool is to prevent the heat from building
up in the first place. A primary source of heat buildup is sunlight absorbed by
your home's roof, walls, and windows. Dark-colored home exteriors absorb 70% to
90% of the radiant energy from the sun that strikes the home's surfaces. Some of
this absorbed energy is then transferred into your home by way of conduction,
resulting in heat gain inside the house. In contrast, light-colored surfaces
effectively reflect most of the heat away from your home. Landscaping can also
help block and absorb the sun's energy to help decrease heat buildup in your
home by providing shade and evaporative cooling.
Shading and evaporative cooling from trees can reduce the air temperature
around your home. Studies conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
found summer daytime air temperatures to be 3° to 6°F cooler in tree-shaded
neighborhoods than in treeless areas. The energy-conserving landscape strategies
you should use for your home depend on the type of climate in which you live.
Buildings and Trees—Natural Partners
Deciduous trees planted on the south and on the west will help keep your
house cool in the summer and allow sun to shine in the windows in the winter.
Orientation of the house and surrounding landscaping has a large effect on
energy consumption. A well-oriented, well-designed home admits low-angle winter
sun to reduce heating bills; rejects overhead summer sun to reduce cooling
bills; and minimizes the chill effect of winter winds. Fences, walls, other
nearby buildings, and rows of trees or shrubs block or channel the wind. Bodies
of water moderate temperature but increase humidity and produce glare. Trees
provide shade, windbreaks, and wind channels. Pavement reflects or absorbs heat,
depending on whether it is light or dark in color.
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