Greenscapes: Energy Efficient Landscaping

[Shelby Bach]

When you landscape cautiously, you can save money by maximizing the
energy efficiency of your home. This means that you can save money on
heating and cooling costs by carefully planting trees, shrubs and even
some grasses and vines. Landscaping can not only help decrease the
amount of energy you use in both winter and summer, but can also
provide an eye-pleasing surrounding for your home. This means that you
can have an attractive home environment and save money on energy
costs. And that is of interest to just about everyone.
When you carefully position your trees, you can save money in both
summer and winter. Large deciduous trees are great additions to any
home for this purpose. These trees have large leaves and create shade
during the summer. They block the sun, and this reduces how much money
is needed to cool the home. Vines growing on the house and shrubs near
the home (protecting basement windows) only help further. Now, here is
the great thing about deciduous trees: they lose their leaves in the
fall. This means that as the leaves fall of during autumn, they let
more sunlight in. This means that natural light and even some warmth
from the sun will filter into your house during the winter, lowering
heating costs. And the best part about these trees is that an eight
foot tall deciduous tree costs about the same amount as a window
awning for one large window. You can have the beauty of nature protect
you and save you money in a way that an awning very could.
Another reason that landscape design with special attention to tree
placement is a wise choice is the fact that they act as windbreaks.
Without the wind whipping around the house, there is less energy used
for heating. There is not even a need to place trees all around the
house to achieve energy savings in windy areas. Simply plant trees on
the windward side of the house. This will act as a barrier and can
result in you spending a quarter less for your energy bill if you live
in an area with high winds. In some areas, the savings increased to
one third. Fences can also act as windbreaks, as do some other
landscape elements.
The United States Department of Energy estimates that energy savings
due to the proper placement of just three trees can be between $100
and $250 for the average household. This means that with a properly
designed landscape your initial investment can be returned in less
than eight years. If you are buying a home, it is a good idea to
choose one with energy efficient landscaping. Then you can experience
that savings, and still add other features to make the landscape your
own.
Proper landscaping also results in other benefits that many people
associate with types of conservation. You can reduce air and noise
pollution around your home with landscape. Greenscape elements
actually absorb sound, and so if you have plants around your house you
can actually help block the sound of a nearby road. Additionally,
plants are natural air cleaners. While they will not completely rid
the air of harmful pollutants, they can create a little pocket of
cleaner air around your home, and that can reduce costs due to
respiratory illness.
Energy use related to caring for a landscape can also be reduced with
a carefully planned out landscape. When you have features that reduce
lawn space, you do not have to use as much water to keep it healthy.
Additionally, if you set up an automatic sprinkler system, you can
save money in electricity to run it and water used by sensibly setting
the times for two or three times a week for fifteen minutes at each
station.

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