Tree Planting for Energy Conservation
Trees are not just for decorating your yard. They can also provide a useful purpose, and save you money. Trees can be used for energy conservation for your home.
How is this possible? By doing tree planting to the west and northwest of your property, it will provide shade during the mid to late afternoon time frame, helping to cool your house and reduce air conditioner usage. It is estimated that properties with shade trees can see air conditioning costs reduced by 35 percent. The more homes that do this sort of energy efficient tree planting means less electrical output by local power companies.
But trees not only help cool off your home during the hot summer months. They can also help keep it warm during the winter. A windy day can make it feel much colder than the actual temperature. By planting trees around your home, you can create a winter windbreak. If the wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour, a windbreak can reduce the speed down to 10 to 15 miles per hour. Using trees as windbreaks can help lower your winter heating costs by 30 percent. Again, this means less output from local energy companies, which benefits the overall environment.