thisplace.com.au - Landscaping for Energy Efficiency

Careful selection and planting of trees around your home can help reduce your energy bills.

Landscaping for energy efficiency makes your home more comfortable and may add thousands of dollars to the value of your property.

There are several areas where you can consider things that you can do to your home to help make your home more energy efficient, such as

sunshading - natural shading can be achieved by planting specific shrubs and vines around the home
tree shape and shading - always consider the shape and height of the tree when fully grown
planting for ventilation and windbreaks - trees and shrubs can be used around your home to screen your house from cold wind or to direct cool breezes where you would like them
insulation and evaporative cooling - planting vines and trees can also help your insulation work more efficiently and can provide added cooling through a process called leaf transpiration - which is a method by which leaf moisture is converted to vapour causing an evaporative cooling effect - this can be used in warm, dry climates where the cooler air can be drawn into the house from windows and doors an exhausted through high windows or roof vents
what to choose - remember to select trees and plants with non-invasive root systems if you are planting them near the house - there are many different types of trees, vines, evergreen and hedges that can be useful for shading, privacy and wind breaks

The best thing to do is to do some research and consult your local nursery and council for advice on what and where to plant.

The Department of Mines and Energy can also provide information on energy efficient house design and energy efficiency in your home. For more information check out the Office of Sustainable Energy website or call 1300 369 388.

Source: Queensland Government, Department of Mines and Energy, Office of Sustainable Energy.