Energy Efficient Landscapes
You can cut your summer energy costs dramatically. You can conserve water and reduce your water bill by 50 percent by the following some simple landscaping guidelines? The U.S Department of Energy proclaims that landscaping may be your best long term investment for reducing heating and cooling cost while also improving your community. Proper placement of only three trees will save an average household up to $250 in energy cost annually! A well-designed landscape will dramatically reduce your summer and winter energy costs; protect your home from winter wind and summer sun; reduce consumption of water; and help control noise and air pollution. With summer just around the corner, here are landscaping tips that will save you money- money that can be spent on that dream vacation!
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To reduce the amount of air infiltration (passage of outside air though cracks around windows and doors), select and place trees and shrubs to block the wind. Consider planting evergreen trees on a berm (raised area of soil) to deflect the wind over your home. Be careful, however, not to plant too close to your home.
How tall will your trees be at maturity? In summer, trees and shrubs can reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the outside surfaces of your home and help control the temperature difference between outer and inner surfaces of your house.
Strategically locate plants along the sunny borders of your home. Shading from trees can reduce surrounding air temperature by 9 degrees F. The air temperature directly under a tree can be an amazing 25 degrees F cooler unit, you will increase its efficiency by as much as 10 percent. A single tree can provide as much cooling as five air conditioner units.
Ground covers such as periwinkle, bugleweed and pachysandra, cool the air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. The cooling impact is welcome on typical 90-degree summer day in Howard County. Consider an arbor covered with luxuriant vines to welcome guest to your home while admitting cool breezes to your garden and patio.
If you want to conserve and reduce your water bill by half, consider xericaping-a landscape designed for low water use. Plant groundcovers. Choose drought- tolerant plants (e.g., verbena, blue star juniper, bishop’s weed, ornamental grasses, coneflower, boston ivy). Prepare your soil by adding organic matter. Mulch to reduce evaporation. Group plants with the same water needs.
When planting a xeriscape in Howard County, consider planting as well-drained berm on top of the clay soil. Drought tolerant plants need oxygen-rich soil; clay soil does not hold much oxygen. To achieve maximum water efficiency, install an automatic sprinkler system. This may reduce your water bill by delivering the right amount of water to your landscape, eliminating wasteful runoff when you forget to turn off the hose and allowing you to program your system early in the morning to minimize water loss due to wind and evaporation. Our landscape professionals can help you save on your energy costs by appropriately designing a plan, choosing and locating shrubs and trees that will maximize your landscape for energy efficiency. Are you ready?
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