This is a great article on the importance of trees in our landscape.
Plant trees and cut your energy bills by 30%
Learn how to plant summer shade trees and a winter windbreak to save money on energy bills all year long.
By Arbor Day Foundation of The Daily Green
Did you know that just three trees properly placed around a house could save up to 30% of energy use? This is according to the U.S. Forest Service Center for Urban Forest Research. One study found that trees planted on the south and west sides of houses in Sacramento, Calif., reduced summertime electricity bills by an average of $25.
Trees provide many benefits to all of us, every day. They provide cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and other wildlife, purify the air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities. In Chicago, the city’s 3.6 million trees reduce air pollution by about 890 tons annually, a $6.4 million benefit, according to the Forest Service. And in Portland, Ore., street trees growing in front of or near a house added an average of $8,870 to its sale price and reduced time on the market by nearly two days.
Planting the right trees in the right places conserves energy and reduces your energy bills, while helping to fight global warming.
Try these tips for getting the most energy- and money-saving benefit from the trees you plant on your property.
Plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your home
Deciduous trees (ones that lose their leaves), planted on the east and west sides, will keep your house cool in the summer and let the sun warm your home in the winter, reducing energy use, according to the Energy Department.
Large deciduous trees planted on the east, west and northwest sides of your home create soothing shade from the hot summer sun and reduce air-conditioning costs by up to 35%.
You use less energy.
The utility company uses less energy, especially at peak demand times.
Less fossil fuel is consumed by the utility to create the energy.
Less fossil-fuel consumption means lower carbon-dioxide emissions.
Plant deciduous trees to shade high-heat spots.
Trees or shrubs planted to shade air conditioners help cool a building more efficiently, using less electricity. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
Plant evergreen trees to the north and northwest of your home.
After the leaves fall, the sun pours through tree branches to warm your home in winter.
The sun travels lower on the southern horizon in winter, so you’ll want to avoid planting evergreen trees on the south side of your home, where they’ll block winter sunshine.
Instead, plant an evergreen conifer windbreak on the north and northwest of your home to block cold winter winds. That could help you save up to 30% on your heating costs. Once again …
You use less energy.
The utility company uses less energy.
Less fossil fuel is consumed by the utility to create the energy.
Less fossil-fuel consumption means less carbon dioxide emissions.
The best protection from wind occurs when the windbreak is no more than the distance of one or two tree heights from the house.
The downwind side of the trees is where the most snow accumulates, so plant your windbreak at a distance equal to one or two tree heights from your rooftop and driveway if you can.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
A word of cation to your readers please! Certain type of tree’s are Good BUT if you plant the wrong type of tree you may have more to deal with than a lower energy bill.
It is believed that up to 75% of successful subsidence claims can be blamed on trees that have been planted near a house.
Reports say that around 37,000 people were affected by subsidence in 2004 and cost the insurance industry around £200 million.
The likes of the Oak and the Willow can look beautiful but are some of the worst offenders. The Elm can be just as bad.
Not dissagreeing with your post but please let your readers know that they need to choose tree’s carefully.