Trees can trim energy costs

By Ken Sheinkopf
Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel

Monkeypod trees provide shade for homes on Signer Boulevard in Honolulu. Trees block the sun, keeping walls and roofs cooler. Advertiser library photo

increases the value of a property as well as enhances its appearance.

But there's another monetary benefit that deserves attention. Planting the right kind of trees, grass and shrubs might pay back bigger dividends than just about any kind of investment you make today.

Regardless of the climate where you live, good landscaping can cut your energy bills significantly. It can help make your home more comfortable, keep noise and bugs outside and help reduce your water bills as well as power bills.

If your home has windows on the east side, for example, you know how hot those rooms get in the morning. Rooms with windows on the west side can be uncomfortable late in the day. But planting trees, bushes, vines and other shrubbery can block that sun, keeping the walls and even the roof cooler, and allow light into the home while keeping the direct rays away.

Trees keep the ground under and around them cooler, which minimizes heat that reaches the walls of your home. Studies show that neighborhoods with tree-shaded streets can be as much as 10 degrees cooler in summer than nearby neighborhoods that don't have this shade.

The shade that is produced by trees also can help reduce the amount of lawn watering you need to do, saving time as well as money.

Researchers have found that just one mature tree will get rid of as much heat near your home as it would take two home central air conditioners to do if the area were enclosed.

So if you think of a single tree as cooling as effectively as two central home air conditioners, you can only imagine the overall cooling effect of several trees on your property. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that three trees, properly placed around a home, can save as much as $250 in heating and cooling costs every year.

You can find articles on landscaping at fsec.ucf.edu (type "landscaping" into the search engine on the home page), including material on using plants and shrubs native to your area to maximize energy and water savings. There also are a number of excellent links to landscape sites from the home page of the American Society of Landscape Architects (asla.org).

Homeowners in Hawai'i can check state.hi.us/dbedt/ert/res guide.html for energy-saving tips.