Use these landscaping tips to keep your energy costs down and make your yard more environmentally friendly. Sitting under a shade tree on a hot day makes you cooler, and standing by a wall on a cold, windy day makes you feel warmer. It seems quite obvious.
What’s less obvious is that you can landscape your yard to offer your home those same benefits. It just takes some minor planning in the way you site trees, fences, and other elements.
A few statistics to help display the point:
- A well-positioned tree can save up to 25 percent of your home’s energy for heating and cooling.
- A tree-shaded yard can be up to 6 degrees cooler than a sunny yard. A shaded lawn can be up to 25 degrees cooler than sunny pavement.
- Our Oregon Modern Steel Fence Specialist say that shading your home’s roof can increase your air conditioner’s energy efficiency by more than 10 percent.
- A single shade tree equals the cooling power of 15 air conditioners — and it runs for free!
- Three house-shading trees can cut your cooling bill by as much as half.
Regional Strategies for Energy-Efficient Landscaping
The Northeast:?In most of the Northwest region, you want to take advantage of the sun’s heat during the winter, so our Oregon Modern Steel Fence Experts suggest you plant deciduous trees on the south- and west-facing sides of your home. Ultimately, this will do double duty: In summer, their leafy canopy will shade your house, aiding in keeping it cooler.
It’s also helpful to use a windbreak of trees or large shrubs to the north or northwest side of your home. As a result, this block will help prevent winter winds from stealing as much of your home’s heat.
The Midwest:?The blazing sun can make Midwestern summers are generally not the best. Our Oregon Steel Fence Experts suggest you help your air conditioner by planting BIG deciduous trees on the south or west side of your home.
To lower the heating costs during cold winter months, our Oregon Modern Steel Fence Experts suggest that you all the sun’s rays to reach the south and west sides of your home. If possible, grow a windbreak of trees or shrubs on the north or northwest side of your house.
The High Plains and Mountain West:?Enjoy all those sunny winter days knowing your furnace is working less if the sun can shine on your home, providing radiant heat. Our Oregon Steel Fence Experts understand that in many areas it’s not completely possible, but plant a windbreak if you can on the north side of your home. In summer, using deciduous trees on the sunny side of your house casts welcome shade.
The Pacific Northwest:?Let the sun work for you: On those rare sunny winter days, its radiant heat can help your furnace if its warm rays can reach your house, so avoid planting evergreens on the south or southwest side of your home. Instead, select deciduous trees that lose their leaves in winter; they’ll give the added benefit of shading your home from the hot sun in summer.
The South: Our Oregon Steel Fence Specialist suggest you pay attention to the breeze and use fences or shrubs to help direct cooling breezes at your house. Likewise, help stop the sun from turning your home into an oven by planting large evergreen trees on the south or southwest side of your home.
Our Oregon Steel Fence Specialist say this should lower the effect of the humidity by planting drought-tolerant plants next to your home. Furthermore, you try and avoid siting thirsty plants next to your house; they’re better suited for other corners of your yard.
The Southwest: Even though summer heat can be intolerable, our Oregon Steel Fence Experts say you can lessen its affect on your air conditioner by planting shade trees on the sunniest sides of your home. Because summer breezes are so rarely cool, use windbreaks to block the wind around your home.
Southern California: If you’re lucky enough to live on the coast where it seems like the weather is always outstanding, our Oregon Modern Steel Fence Experts say you’ll want to combat summer heat by planting big shade trees on the south and southwest side of your home.
Furthermore,, make sure you also take a look at blocking those warm summer winds: Plant windbreaks around your home to deflect them.