About 22% of the energy consumption in the U.S. is attributed to households, and about half of that is used for heating a cooling. What most people don’t fully appreciate is that fact that a properly designed landscape can contribute significantly to a home’s energy efficiency while reducing air pollution. In fact, your heating and cooling bills could be reduced by up to 40%.
The cumulative energy savings in a city, for instance, could run up to millions of dollars. If this sounds a little far-fetched, the following research findings should convince you of just how helpful it could be to plant trees in your yard:
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California's Street Trees Are Worth About $1 Billion
It’s hard to motivate meaningful responses to abstract environmental problems. That’s why some scientists have thrown their weight behind putting dollar signs on nature. Their hope is that if people better grasp the dividends society reaps from rivers, forests, soil, and the atmosphere, they might support investing in protecting it.
Certainly, that’s the philosophy the U.S. Forest Service has adopted in the agency’s work with urban canopies. Scientists there have calculated the dollar value of urban trees in cities around the U.S., measuring and monetizing the benefits trees provide by sequestering carbon, improving air quality, providing shade, reducing noise, and absorbing rainfall. They’ve built specialized software, i-Tree, to inventory urban trees and help evaluate their worth. Read full post at City Lab...
In order to maximize your energy savings through planting trees, you need to be strategic about it. As a rule, be sure to plant the right tree correctly in the right place. If the tree is wrong for the area you live in, or if it is planted incorrectly or in the wrong place, then the benefits to you are minimized. The following post helps put this into better perspective:
Where to Plant Trees for Maximized Home Value and Energy Efficiency
Want a great “two-fer” that will save you energy and increase the value of your home at the same time?
Plant a tree. Better yet, if you’ve got the space, plant a few trees. These towering wonders of nature will return their investment multiplied in increased real estate value, as well as aesthetic charm. Read full post at Modernize.com...
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As part of the tree selection process, be sure to look for trees that are strong and structurally sound. A healthy tree has greater chances of surviving to maturity and will also withstand environmental stressors. The strength of the tree is also critical when you want to realize the greatest energy savings, particularly in an urban setting. In the following video, Robert Polomski discusses the most important elements to look for when identifying a structurally sound tree:
It’s clear that the correct tree selection and placement will go a long way in maximizing the energy savings you attract from trees. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy devised computer models that predict that an average household can save up to $250 through proper placement of three trees. As such, professional assistance for tree selection and placement this is highly recommended. Contact us today for professional and affordable tree services in in Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg Virginia.
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Article Source Here: Plant Trees In Your Yard For Significant Energy Cost Savings
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