Planting Trees & Shrubs for Energy Efficiency

Did you know that you can save energy and money just by planting trees and shrubs strategically on your lot? It's true, so why not save on those energy bills while sprucing up your yard? Trees and shrubs also absorb CO2 and emit oxygen back into the atmosphere, so you're helping the planet in several ways.

How does it work? Trees provide shade, and that means your house stays cooler. And, by planting deciduous trees that lose their leaves in cold months, you can ensure that this cooling effect occurs only in the summer months when your air conditioning bills are high, and not in the winter when you want that solar gain. Trees and shrubs can also block wind, which means your home stays warmer in the winter.

Check out this information from Trees Forever, a non-profit group in Marion, IA:

Research conducted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) has shown that proper placement of trees and shrubs around buildings can reduce summer energy needs as much as 50%. In addition, planting windbreaks can reduce your winter heating cost by 10% for urban communities and up to 40% for farmsteads. In fact, the DOE has estimated that properly placing as few as three trees can save the average household between $100 and $250 annually in energy costs. Energy Efficiency - Trees Forever

Trees Forever even offers a fun tool for figuring out where to plant trees on your lot: Windbreak and Shade Tree Locator.

Why not green your yard and green your life?