Plant a Windbreak to Reduce Home Energy Costs
Posted on Mar 20, 2010 - 02:11 AM
By: Brian Liloia
Reducing your home energy costs can be as simple as planting a few trees in the right location surrounding your house. An effective windbreak can reduce the amount of money you spend on your heating bill by deflecting and slowing down gusty, cold winds in the wintertime.
Cold winter winds usually come from the west and northerly directions. Evergreen trees and shrubs, such as conifers and cedars, do not lose their foliage over winter and provide an excellent barrier against strong winds. This Arbor Day website has an excellent graphic depicting how effective a windbreak can be to reduce wind speed around your home.
The rule of thumb for planting windbreak greenery is that a windbreak should be no more than the distance of one to two tree heights from your house. Consider planting some trees and shrubs around your home to reduce your home heating bill!
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Show/Hide Comments (2)
By Enrico on 03/29/2010
With the climate change that we are facing nowadays I think it is necessary for us to learn on how to conserve energy. I’m glad that Earth Hour promotes on how to conserve energy. A total doofus could do a little something for Earth Hour - all you have to do is switch off all the lights and appliances (within reason - I am not turning off the fridge, that’s just stupid) or not drive a auto from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on the 27th of March. That’s pretty easy. Think of it as making payday advances out to the Earth - if it actually does help offset climate change or global warming, then it isn’t as if it hurts you to do it. Heck, turning the lights out may even motivate people to do something fun with the spouse that does not revolve around American Idol.
By Orlando Awnings and Canopies on 06/07/2011
Another great idea is to install some awning around your windows. This will keep your house cool and provide a little extra comfort for those rainy days.
