From Guest Blogger Lillian Connors: Energy Efficient Landscaping–Best Practices
Although most people associate landscaping with decoration, aesthetics and possibly, and possibly an attempt to increase the value of their property, there are other, perhaps even more important things that need to be taken into consideration when planning your landscape.
If all the elements required for landscaping are selected and positioned carefully, they can also provide significant savings in terms of energy consumption. Still not convinced? Well, have a look at the statistics below.
Numbers don’t lie
A tree shading a yard lowers the temperature by up to 6 degrees in comparison to a sunny yard, or up to staggering 25 degrees in comparison to a sunny pavement. You can also increase the energy efficiency of your air-conditioning system by over 10 percent if there’s shade over your roof.
If positioned properly, three house-shading trees can cut your air-conditioning bill in half, while Installing windbreaks reduces your heating bills by around 20 percent.
How to reduce heating costs
Evergreen trees provide excellent protection from cold winter winds. Since a windbreak protects an area ten times greater than its height, a 30-feet tall tree would protect an area which is around 300 feet wide. The idea is to densely plant evergreens in order to reduce the wind speed by amazing 85 percent. Experience has shown that the savings on heating bills go as far up as 25 percent.
On the other hand, deciduous trees are great for allowing a cool, summer breeze, as well as the winter sun to reach the house, which is why we recommend you plant them on the south side of your home. You could use deciduous vines, too, but the result will not be quite the same due to their smaller size.
Another element that can help is an open lawn on the south side, because it allows snow to accumulate and reflect the light in winter, thus providing additional heating to your house. Finally, a tall fence will slow cold winter winds, providing not only an insulating effect, but also protection for plants which can’t sustain extreme cold. A stone or concrete patio will use the heat accumulated during day and reflect it during those cool evenings.
How to reduce cooling costs
One way to filter light during the hottest part of the day is to install a pergola or awning or some other type of shading structure on the west side. The most important thing is to have an open structure, which wouldn’t trap heat.
Porches and patios should be located on the east side, since they will be warm in the morning, but not too hot in the afternoon. In terms of groundcover, brighter stone or concrete will reflect more heat, while darker ones will absorb more. The best cooling effect is provided by a lawn, but it might require a lot of water.
Trees should be planted so that they provide shade over your windows, particularly on the south and west sides. Deciduous trees are a much better option here, since they provide shade in the summer, but allow sunlight inside your home in the winter.
Equipment
Depending on the type of landscaping works you need to do, your need for special garden equipment will vary greatly. Very often, it makes no sense to buy an expensive item which you’ll use very rarely. Instead, you may hire it on a daily basis and not worry about maintenance.
Also, if you decide to purchase some piece of equipment or machinery, you may want to check out online auctions, since they often feature excellent deals and you might buy some great, useful items at much lower prices.
Of course, there are experts in landscape design who can help you create not only an aesthetically pleasing environment, but also one which provides maximum energy-efficiency. This option depends on your budget.
In case you have to rely on yourself, make sure you do enough research and look at various ideas people have posted online. Also, if you’re not very familiar with plants, feel free to consult those working at a local nursery. They are bound to give you some helpful tips about landscaping.
