Landscaping Adds To Property Value, Helps Save On Heating, Cooling Bills
Residents of the Northwest have long appreciated the benefits of a carefully landscaped yard. But did you know that besides increasing property value and improving aesthetics, planting shrubs and trees can help you save energy and make your home more comfortable?
In the winter months trees can help trim energy bills by diverting the force of cold winds that blow in from the north (if the prevailing winter winds come from this direction). According to the book “Landscape Design That Saves Energy” (by Ann Simon Moffat, 1981, Morrow Books), a row of trees or shrubs can obstruct up to 85 percent of the wind’s force, saving you as much as 30 percent on your winter heating bills. Because the sun stays in our southern sky all year long, trees planted to the north of your house will have little effect on the amount of light your home receives. When summer rolls around, shading your windows from the sun becomes your highest priority.
A high-crowned, tall tree that has a dense leaf cover (like a red maple, for example) will quickly grow tall enough to shade your southern-facing windows from the hot, midday summer sun. The high, bare branches of a tree like a red maple won’t block desirable winter sunlight, since the sun is at a lower angle in the winter months.
The late-afternoon sun can overheat the western exposure of a house, even in the winter. A mix of low evergreen and deciduous trees planted close to the western wall of your house will effectively prevent overheating in the summer and allow filtered light through in the winter. Windows facing east are less of a concern, since the early morning sunlight they admit isn’t as intense. If your home has an air conditioner, you can realize substantial savings by shading the cooling unit. A carefully placed shade tree or vine-covered trellis can cool the air conditioner sufficiently to improve its efficiency by 10 percent, according to a study conducted by Lawrence Berkeley Labs.
While a program of adding trees to your yard can’t make up for inadequate insulation or drafty windows, landscape design has been shown to be an important element in keeping home energy costs low.
Each landscape is unique, so consulting with a Washington State University’s master gardener (a free service available through your county’s cooperative extension) or with a professional landscape designer familiar with energyefficient design can help you plant wisely and maximize your savings. Master gardeners at the WSU/ Spokane County Cooperative Extension office can be reached at 533-2048.
Another local agency, the Spokane County Conservation District, offers tree seedlings for sale at various times during the year. For information on these sales, and other ways you can get involved with local tree planting activities, contact the district at 353-2120.
Aside from planting trees and shrubs in your own yard, check out the many tree-planting activities during April, Spokane County’s Earth Day month:
April 1: Tree seedling sale, Spokane County Conservation District, 222 N. Havana, 8 a.m.
April 1: Tree planting in Riverside State Park, 9 a.m. Sponsored by Sierra Club. Contact Rich Leon, 325-0747.
April 22: Earth Day Celebration in Riverfront Park. 10a.m.-5 p.m.; tree-planting ceremony at 11 a.m.
April 29: Arbor Day Celebration at Finch Arboretum, 3404 W. Woodland Blvd., noon-4 p.m.
xxxx