Create an energy-efficient home with landscaping
By Bob Polomski
Properly positioned trees, shrubs, and vines can save as much as 50% on heating and cooling costs.
In winter, a hedgerow or screen of trees or shrubs planted on the northwest side blocks cold winds better than a solid barrier. These windbreaks are usually evergreens, but deciduous shrubs or trees can block up to 60% of the wind even when leafless.
In summer, deciduous trees, a vine-covered trellis or arbor on the south side of a house will block the hot summer sun. Deciduous trees planted on the east, west, and south sides of a home provide shade in summer and allow warming sunlight in winter.
These and more tips are available in the booklet Landscape Design for Energy Efficiency, available at www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/ (Pub Code EC 706). This Clemson Extension publication was produced in association with the S.C. Energy Office and the S.C. Forestry Commission.
For information: Bob Polomski, bplmsk@clemson.edu,