Reducing your home's heating and cooling load can be a homegrown strategy. The terms refer to the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. In winter, that’s the heating load, and in the summer it's the cooling load. A house with too much of either is energy inefficient and costing you money. Methods to reduce the load on your home include weatherizing, adding insulation and sealing ducts. But a natural “green” option exists, too. Energy-saving landscaping positions trees to lower the heating and cooling load by blocking solar heat in summer while still allowing the sun to warm the house in winter. This is accomplished by considering the sun’s seasonal track across your property.
- The summer sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest. Morning sun exposes the east wall of your home to direct solar energy. However, residual overnight cooling in the home normally offsets this heat so morning shading isn’t vital.
- As the sun climbs higher, the south wall receives full sun exposure, but from a very high angle. A tree could not efficiently shade the wall at that angle. An awning or overhang is a better option.
- During the afternoon, the west wall of the home takes the full brunt of the summer sun. By this time of day, no residual cooling remains so the home’s cooling load is soaring. At least one tree should be planted to shade the west wall, placed 25 feet from the wall midway along a line between the sun’s 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. positions.
- During winter, the sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest. Nearly all of a winter day’s sun exposure falls on the south wall of the house. If you plant any trees or large shrubs that shade the south wall, make sure they are deciduous so they lose their leaves in winter and allow solar exposure to warm the home.
In the Fort Wayne area, Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning is here when you need us. Ask us about more green strategies to lower your heating and cooling load and beautify your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating and cooling loads and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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