Using Landscaping to Save Energy and Money
Landscaping is one way to reduce your energy bill.
Save Energy This Summer With Landscaping
If your home already has trees shading it, then it’s a good idea to keep them healthy. Shade from a mature tree canopy can reduce peak summer temperatures around your home by 1°F to 3°F and reduce your Georgia cooling costs by 5% to 10%.
Landscaping in Georgia to save electricity isn’t hard but it is important to develop a plan. Start off by identifying your plant hardiness zone and then what types of plants are best suited for it. Figure out what areas need shade, drainage, and erosion control. Don’t forget those great views you want to preserve.
Adding small plots of groundcover plantings, like Hostas, creepers, and thyme, help shade driveways and sidewalks. These create cooler spaces that reduces ground heating which radiates into the home. A trellis for vines or tall bushes that shade a patio can also reduce more ambient heat. Planting trees or shrubs in areas prone to ponding rainwater is also a great way of taking care of humidity and mosquito problems. In some cases, planting a raspberry bush not only solves the problem but also provides a healthy treat.
By reducing the heating effects of the sun, your entire yard will absorb less heat during the day and help your home to cool faster at night.
And when it’s time to sell your home, a well-landscaped home can add between 5%-12% to the home’s value.
Shading the Air Conditioner
The rule of thumb used to be that homeowners could save 10% of their energy usage by shading their outside AC unit. However, that recommendation was based on old data because it mainly applied to window-mounted units which once outnumbered central air systems. Single room, window-mounted units should be shaded.
For central air systems, more recent research shows that the effect of shading outside condenser units is negligible. Air conditioner outside condensing units get rid of coolant heat through the cooling coils and fins. While it seems to make sense that the unit’s metal case should make the whole unit hot, research shows this isn’t how it works. In fact, the large metal case doesn’t conduct heat to the cooling coils and fins very effectively. Plus, the case also shades the cooling coils and fins from the sun.
Because the fan circulates air through those coils, it’s the temperature of the air that has a direct impact on the rate of coolant-cooling rather than the surface temperature of the unit’s metal case. All told, shading the outside condenser unit only increases the efficiency by less than 1%.
But, if you do landscape near your outside condenser unit, be very careful not to restrict air flow around it because that will wind up costing you more.
Save Energy In Georgia All Year!
Expensive winter heating bills might be gone but high temperatures and high electric bills are on the way! Is your family ready? Keep your cool this summer with these energy efficiency tips. And don’t forget to prepare for next winter by shopping for a great natural gas rate in Georgia from Georgia Gas Savings. Compare plans, read provider reviews, and choose the right Georgia gas supplier that fits your family’s needs all year round!