Utility costs are on the rise, along with so many other expenses. One way to cut bills is to landscape your home for energy efficiency.
More Top Picks Best Dual Fuel Ranges For Home Chefs
“It has fringe benefits, too,” says Gary O’Neil, superintendent of vegetation management for Kansas City Power & Light. “You’ll have the beauty of trees in your yard and make a better habitat for birds and squirrels.”
Proper landscaping can save the average household $100 to $250 annually in heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A landscaping investment of about $1,500 could pay off in six years.
O’Neil suggests that before planting, homeowners take time to draw up a scale plan of their home and yard. Effective landscaping requires knowing how the mature size, shape and location of a tree or windbreak will affect a home.
A tree’s shading and transpiration (the process by which plants release water vapor) can reduce surrounding air temperature by as much as 9 degrees, O’Neil says. Because cool air settles, the temperature under the tree can be as much as 25 degrees cooler.
The park-like effect is easy to replicate in a yard by planting deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves in fall) along the south and west sides of a home.
Deciduous trees block solar heat in summer, but much of that heat passes through their bare branches in winter to heat the home.
The cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is like 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Plant large trees at least 20 feet from a house. It’s also a good idea to shade air-conditioning equipment by planting small ornamental trees about 10 feet from the unit. Heating
In winter, evergreen trees and shrubs planted on the north and northwest sides of a house will block or redirect wind from a home to reduce heating bills.
“My house had no trees,” says Lala Kumar of Lee’s Summit, Mo., horticulture specialist for University of Missouri Extension. “Creating windbreaks helped in winter.”
Kumar cautions people not to plant evergreen trees too close to the house. For maximum efficiency, plant a windbreak 20 to 25 feet from the house. Plant the trees so the branches will touch at maturity, forming a line of defense against the harsh north winter winds.
Also, planting small evergreen shrubs, bushes and vines along a home’s foundation creates a space with dead air that helps insulate a home in summer and winter.
– – –
LARGER DECIDUOUS TREES
Such as: Hickory, oak, walnut, ginkgo, birch, thornless honey locust, Kentucky coffee, tulip
Where: The south side of the house
SHORTER DECIDUOUS TREES
Such as: Sassafras, holly and soapberry and ornamental trees such as redbud, crabapple, serviceberry
Where: The west side of the house and about 10 feet from air-conditioning equipment
EVERGREENS
Such as: White, Austrian and Scotch pines; eastern red cedar; arborvitae, Colorado blue spruce
Where: On the north and northwest sides of the house
SHRUBS AND VINES
More Top Picks Stove
Such as: Junipers and ivy
Where: Along the foundation
SAFE PLANTING
* Do not plant trees that grow taller than 70 feet within 45 feet of overhead pole-to-pole power lines.
* Keep shrubs 5 feet from the sides and 10 feet from the front of pad-mounted transformers.
* Be wary of fast-growing species because they are more prone to disease, drought and storm damage.
RESOURCES
Heartland Tree Alliance, www.heartlandtreealliance.org