If you are looking for savings, you've come to the right place. Planting trees in the right spot is a sustainable + smart option for lowering energy bills.
Trees can be planted in different areas for different reasons. Want beauty in one spot and privacy in another? That is wonderful. There are trees for that, and we can help you figure it out.
This post, however, is specifically tailored to homeowners who want more bang for their buck, so to speak 💸. They want to save ENERGY ⚡!
Unlock Energy Savings, Beautify Your Yard & Feel Good About It🌳⚡!
The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life. — Greek Proverb
Summer Savings
Shade trees provide sooo many benefits. If you look closely at the work they do, it seems as if they do it all. In summer, the main contributor to our energy expenses is our AC Unit 🌬️. Those babies work overtime 🥵! The good news is we can help lighten the load with a simple tip on tree placement 🏡.
Established shade trees in certain areas can contribute to energy savings at home and add up to savings for the energy companies, too!
Strategy for Energy Savings in Summer
Check it out, it is all about tree placement → Plant shade trees around the east, west, and northwest sides of your home. Doing so will help offer your AC unit some much-needed relief.
Quick Facts about Shade Trees 🌳→
• Properly placing shade trees around your home can help reduce AC energy costs by up to 35%. Cha-ching!
• Using less energy for cooling reduces carbon dioxide emissions, benefiting the environment 🌱. Lower energy consumption = reduced greenhouse gas emissions! Including CO2. Look at you, you little eco-conscious homeowner you.
• Shade lowers temperatures in and around buildings, improving comfort and reducing the heat island effect.
A side effect of properly placed trees is that you use less energy. In doing so, you are not putting out as many carbon dioxide emissions. This means you’re doing good for your home environment and the planet 🌎. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Shade trees will help cool your yard and home, and make your outdoor spaces more enjoyable throughout the seasons, especially during the hot summer months. They add beauty too! Fall 🍁 trees, anyone?
Winter Savings
When the warmth of summer and fall has long passed, the cold of winter will surely settle in ❄️. The good news is, if you have trees, you will enjoy the benefits they provide all year long, like unique architectural branching that casts artistic shadows on the snow, or bright red ornamental fruit that wildlife flock to for a filling solstice snack. Who knows, maybe you'll even spot a cardinal 🐦!?
There are many other benefits trees provide during winter.
One benefit, for example, and maybe one you've already guessed, is the energy savings provided by trees during the wintertime.
Most of us think of energy savings from shade trees in the summer, but have you ever thought of the benefits of trees during the winter months?
Trees planted in the right spots can help you conserve energy and lower those energy bills year-round.
In short, deciduous trees lose leaves and let sunlight filter through in winter, while evergreens 🌲 block winter winds. All of which help keep your home warmer, protected, and those energy bills low, low, low.
Strategies for savings in winter → One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when planting evergreens is planting them on the south side of their house. In doing so, evergreens block all that glorious winter sunshine ☀️ that can still filter through tall deciduous shade tree branches, the kind that lose their leaves.
Quick Placement Tips for Winter Savings →
• Consider planting evergreens on the north and northwest sides of your home. This will help block those bitter 🥶🌬️ Chicagoland winds, cutting back on that oh-so-blustery wind chill and unavoidable heating costs.
• Pair evergreens with shade trees. Plant shade trees in areas that allow the sunlight to filter through their branches in winter.
Let's recap →
Careful consideration of tree selection and placement can save you loads on energy bills, keeping your home nice and cool during the summer, and toasty warm during winter.
For more information on where to place your trees, be sure to hit up our Design Center!
Resources →
Arbor Day Foundation | How to Plant Trees to Conserve Energy for Winter Warmth
Arbor Day Foundation | How to Plant Trees to Conserve Energy for Summer Shade
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