E N E R GY W I S E
Energy Efficient Landscaping Tips
BY PAT K E E G A N A N D B R A D T H I E S S E N
told us that if our landscaping is done right, it can help lower our home’s monthly energy bill. What choices can we make that will reduce our home energy use? – Jason and Kit D E AR JASO N AN D KIT: Your friend is right. The decisions you make about your home’s landscaping can help you stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. With summer just around the corner, let’s start by looking at how strategic planting can help cool your home. Deciduous trees can help keep your home cool in summer by blocking the Direct sunlight hitting windows sun and help warm it by allowing sunlight in during winter. is a major contributor to overheating your home during summer months. By If you live in a colder climate, planting deciduplanting trees that block sunlight, you can improve ous trees that lose their leaves in fall will shield comfort and reduce your air conditioning energy your windows in summer and allow sunlight in use. If the trees eventually grow tall enough to during winter to help warm your home. A simple shield your roof, that’s even better. approach that can deliver some shade the first year The most important windows to shade are the is to plant a “living wall” of vines grown on a trellis ones facing west, followed by windows that face next to your home. east. Morning and evening sunlight hits the home One cooling strategy is to make sure your air more directly than mid-day sunlight. Also, an eave conditioning compressor has some plants near on the south side of your home can help shade it. Just make sure the plants aren’t too close. The your windows during mid-day sun. compressor should have a 5-foot space above it and a 2- to 3-foot gap all the way around so that it gets enough air Evergreen trees movement to do its job. There are two other factors to consider that are important in some areas Low shrubs of Kansas and across the country:
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Deciduous trees
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Cool evening breezes
PLANT FOR EFFICIENCY This is an example of a landscaping plan that can reduce energy use for summer cooling and for winter heating.
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KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING
MARCH 2020
WATER IS BECOMING MORE PRECIOUS AND MORE EXPENSIVE.
When you pay your water bill, much of that cost is for the energy required to pump water to your home, or perhaps you have your own well. Either way, reducing water use saves you money and reduces energy use.
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IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA SUSCEPTIBLE TO WILDFIRES, YOU
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M A R C E L A G A R A , E N E R G Y E F F I C I E N C Y D ATA B A S E
D E AR PAT AN D B R AD : A friend
