Although heating and cooling costs will continue to chomp away your family savings no matter how much you try to cut back, there are environmental and green living ways to decrease these family expenses.
The long-term benefits of energy-conservative landscaping can end up saving your family 25% (heating) to 50% (cooling) off your energy bill. With the planting season in full bloom (no pun intended!) now is the perfect time to create an affordable green home haven.
How exactly does planting a few trees help your energy bill? Here are six factors that can be effected by your green living and have your family savings growing as effectively as your green shrubs.
- Before you begin your plan at all, it is smart to come up with a detailed sketch measuring height of your home, doors, compass directions, windows, etc. Figure out how the sun and wind effects your home and sketch the wind patterns to more accurately determine the best kind of planting around your home.
- Trees and bushes planted strategically around windows and doors can decrease the amount of lost air infiltration, especially in the winter months.
- In summer, trees and shrubs can reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the outside surfaces of a home, and thus reduce heat conduction into the house. In the winter, blocking cold winter winds will reduce conductive heat loss.
- Large expanses of east- or west-facing windows will admit undesirable solar radiation in the summer, while large south-facing windows can help heat a home in winter. Planting vegetation around your home can regulate solar radiation during different seasons of the year.
