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Trying to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer have been primary concerns and costs for average families. After Hurricane Katrina, the world found itself having to deal with higher energy costs in order to meet the aforementioned concerns. After Katrina natural gas and oil prices went on an upward spiral. What has not been popularly explored was that landscaping is capable of conserving energy in the home.

How much energy can you really save?

By effectively arranging your landscape to meet specific energy needs, you can save up to at least 30% in the cost of your cooling and heating. Trees, which are a staple in properly landscaped property, can effectively reduce 60% of sunlight even without foliage.

How does it work?

The primary consideration in landscaping in to conserve energy is to conduct heat effectively through the property, properly direct wind movement to manage the effects of direct wind blowing through the house, and maintain whatever heat or cool is in the house.

These are the three goals, and these are achieved by positioning various foliage- whether it be deciduous trees, conifer trees, evergreen plants, shrubs or bushes.

Keeping the Heat In

Shrubs and bushes that are planted close to the wall of the house create what is called a dead air barrier, and actually buffers the foundation of the house, making sure that warm air or cold – whichever is inside the house – that would usually escape through roofs or windows stays inside.

Redirecting the Sunlight

The summer sun is one of the main culprits of increasing heat inside the home. When the sun’s rays hit the home directly, 90% of this heat goes into heating the walls and foundations of the home. The best location for these trees in the yard or garden is either west or south of the house, where they can best block the sun from its peak time until the time it sets.

By putting trees very proximate to the property, you are effectively reducing temperatures inside the home. Huge shade trees in particular can reduce temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the winter, deciduous trees that shed foliage allow for sunlight to pass through the branches, providing some warmth to the home. Landscaping is an activity that should be maximized for all its functionality. After all, if beautifying a home garden or yard works to cut the utility bills it is worth consideration.

Statistics show that lighting products consume 24% of the electrical power generated in the U.S. and lighting products make up for approximately 25-45% of household and commercial energy costs. Statistics such as these are causing individuals take a closer look at their home lighting and make changes to adopt more energy efficient products.

This high demand has brought new energy saving devices that are now available to the consumer for both home and office. Many such devices are easy to replace and install. Your checkbook will thank you too, because the pay back period of implementing energy saving products can be as quick as 1 year with dollar savings being realized on the very next monthly utility bill. Many of the available products can be used in a variety of ways including exterior home lighting, outdoor lighting, and landscape lighting. Below are a few great energy efficient products that should be readily available at your local lighting or hardware store.

Dimmers – Table top, floor or in wall. Dimming devices can save up to 50% of the energy used simply by dialing down the light intensity. Dimmers also provide for a soft and relaxing mood.

Compact Fluorescent – There are many CFL lamps available today. It is best to choose those with the best color rendition and many with dimmable features.

LED – These lamps are the newest generation of lamp technology. However, LED’s have a lot of restrictions and guidelines. Choosing the best LED for the right application requires some knowledge of this technology and its capabilities. LED’s are the most efficient of all lamp sources (including fluorescent). I suspect the LED collection will be one of the fastest growing segments of the lighting industry in the near future.

Motion and Occupancy Sensors – These handy devices allow lighting to come on when movement is detected in a room or area. Using PIR (passive infra red) technology, these switching devices prevent lights from being left on for long periods of time.

Timing Devices – Timers allow specific lights to come on and off at required time periods. This provides easy control for light function. Timers can easily be set for lights to come on and off at multiple times. They can also be adjusted for vacation mode as a safety feature.

Photo Controls – Like timing devises, photo control allows the light to come on at dusk and off at dawn. Most photo controls are used for exterior lighting but they can also be useful in many indoor applications.

Solar – This technology is totally “carbon neutral” and off the electrical grid. Until today, most of the solar products were weak and could not hold a charge for very long. Today, with the advent of new “photo voltaic” technology, solar lighting can be very practical and a great solution to dark areas without electricity. Most of the solar products are built for exterior use but many can be used in sunny rooms, sheds and structures with some natural UV light. It is important to note however, that solar will not work with artificial light.

The bottom line is that besides the financial savings of using energy efficient products in the home or office, the goal of the U.S. to become more energy independent will happen more quickly as consumers begin making the effort of changing energy habits. This can be as easy as replacing a light bulb or turning on a switch.

Whoever says you can’t “kill two birds with one stone” when becoming more energy efficient is absolutely wrong! There are ways to cut down on your home’s energy expenses while adding beautiful landscapes to the yard and, in turn, likely increasing your home’s value.

A well designed landscape will:

* Cut your summer and winter energy costs dramatically

* Protect your home from winter wind and summer sun

* Reduce consumption of water, pesticides, and fuel for landscaping and lawn maintenance

* Help control noise and air pollution

By planting trees in optimal locations, you can save up to 25% of your home’s energy consumption for heating and cooling, which ends up being anywhere from $100 to $250 annually. In less than 8 years, you will have likely earned back whatever price you put into landscaping the lawn to begin with. And, as stated above, you are realistically raising the value of your home in the process.

“Shading and evapotranspiration (the process by which a plant actively moves and releases water vapor) from trees can reduce surrounding air temperature as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit.” In addition, the temperature directly underneath the tree may be reduced by as much as 25 degrees Fahrenheit. As well as all of that, the cost of summer air condition bills can be decreased by as much as 15% to 50% with the aid of properly located landscaping.

Depending on what part of the United States you are located in, wind chill factor may be an issue during the winter. As you know, this can drastically drop the temperature by numerous degrees. By adding trees and fences as a windbreak, you can shield your home from the biting wind. When the freezing cold wind hits the walls and windows of your house, it decreases the temperature inside, causing more heat to be needed to offset this temperature reduction. With these landscape additions, you can counteract the negative results of this cold air and prevent having to run the heater as high or as often.

Landscaping Strategies by Region

* Temperature

o Maximize warming effects of the sun in the winter

o Maximize shade during the summer

o Deflect winter winds away from buildings

o Funnel summer breezes toward the home

* Hot-Arid

o Provide shade to cool roofs, walls and windows

o Allow summer winds to access naturally cooled homes

o Block or deflect winds away from air conditioned homes

* Hot-Humid

o Channel summer breezes toward the home

o Maximize summer shade with trees that still allow penetration of low angle winter sun

o Avoid locating planting beds close to the home if they require frequent watering

* Cool

o Use dense windbreaks to protect the home from cold winter winds

o Allow the winter sun to reach south facing windows

o Shade south and west windows and walls from the direct summer sun, if summer overheating is a problem

Everything in our existence vibrates with energy. All of this energy contains information, if we know how to recognize what it’s conveying. While science and the laws of the universe have done well to explain the external sources and uses of energy, the internal landscape is still a largely unexplored territory. One reason why so many people have lost touch with this powerful source of information and strength is that the way it works inside of us is still one of the great mysteries of life. To begin to unravel that mystery, let’s start with how energy exists in our universe.

The world around us is made up of things that we experience through the five senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. These objects are all made of atoms, the essential building blocks of all the matter in the universe. But what are atoms made of? When you get to that level of observation, you’ll see that atoms are made up of energy ‘ pure energy. One unit of that energy is called a quantum, and Quantum Physics is the study of how that force works to create our reality. You cannot see, sense, or hear quantum energy. In fact, at that level, there is nothing physical for you to experience at all. Yet, everything you see in your world is made up of these invisible vibrations of energy existing in empty space. The quantum field of energy within you is invisible, even as it drives your very existence. Understanding this concept is the start of a whole new level of understanding of how you create your reality through your energetic vibration ‘ your inner landscape of beliefs, thoughts, and feelings.

Although science is just now revealing the principles that govern your inner energy, humans have been aware of its presence and power for millennia. All spiritual traditions acknowledge and work with this inner spiritual energy, with many names used to describe it in the human body: Chakras are energy centers; Chi is the flow of energy through meridians of the body; Kundalini refers to the energy that builds at the base of the spine and rises up in spiritual awakening; Samskara refers to the energy held in the heart; and Spirit is often used to describe this inner energy. Our thoughts, emotions, and actions control the frequency of the vibration of our energy. How is this so? Everything you think, feel, and do requires energy. Have you ever been thinking about a list of things you need to do and suddenly your thoughts wander and you realize you can’t remember what you had previously intended to do? To return your attention to the former thought takes energy. If you pay attention, you can feel the effort it takes to expend that energy.

Remember a time when you felt jealous? Envious? Angry? Those feelings all take a significant amount of energy. Even pushing them away takes energy. Feelings and the resulting energy you are expending can also change in the moment. Think back to when you were a child and your parents asked you to do a chore you didn’t want to do. You might have been sullen or moping, disappointed that you couldn’t go and play with your friends. Remember, too, when you were finally finished and you could do what you had planned. In a matter of seconds, you had more energy than you knew what to do with.

You have an incredible amount of energy within you. When it is available, you can take on anything and everything. It’s palpable. You can actually feel it coursing through your body, like a swirl. If you focus on it and follow the flow, with practice, you can actually trace it to different centers of your physical being.

This beautiful, loving energy that fills you from the depths of your being is yours from your birth to the present. There is no limit to it. It can never be diminished. No matter your age, you can call upon it whenever you want. It never ages, never dies, never needs any nourishment from external sources. It is always with you.

If you don’t feel this energy within you, it’s because you have somehow blocked it. Without realizing it, you’ve closed your energy centers, restricting what you allow yourself to feel, shutting off the flow of light to your inner energy. That is why you don’t have vitality when you are sad or depressed. The channels are closed and you will feel either an overwhelming tiredness or a huge disruption in your life ‘ or both. As a result, your inner energy becomes dormant, awaiting your permission to emerge again.

What you need to restore the channels and start the flow again is very simple: openness and accessibility.

A pretty backyard can only go so far. Many experts have proven that efficient landscaping that takes into consideration energy needs, may well save a family more then 30% of their usual heat or cooling costs – either in the winter or summer. These savings could tangibly translate to almost $250 worth of savings in a year.

So how does one make an energy efficient yard? There are various things that can be considered in both existing and soon-to-be-developed landscapes.

Keep the Sun Out

One of the key considerations in landscaping includes the various weather conditions that prevail in the area. This means taking into consideration where the sun shines and what path the sunlight takes. A house’s walls and foundations, when hit directly by the sun, will absorb almost 90% of the sun’s heat, thereby increasing the burden on the air-conditioning or cooling system to keep the house cool.

Usually, the best way to keep the sun out is to plant deciduous, dense, and broad trees to the south or west of the house, where their foliage can provide shade against the rays of the hot summer sun. Keeping the sun out can reduce temperatures to up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

These deciduous trees lose their foliage over the winter and will give you access more of the sun’s heat in the winter when your home’s walls and foundations need the heat.

Break the Wind

One of the primary contributors to lowering home temperatures is the wind that blows through the house. Especially in the winter, this wind is particularly sinister as the wind chill is much colder than the normal atmospheric temperature in the area.

Plants that serve as effective windbreaks include evergreens or trees in general. In fact, even fences placed in strategic locations can serve as windbreaks.

Keep the Heat or Cool In

One of the primary culprits in the wasting of energy is the heat or cool that escapes through the home’s roof, windows and doors. It is imperative to find a way to keep heat or cool air inside the home.

The best way to achieve this is by planting shrubbery around the home’s foundations. This creates a dead air barrier, keeping the heat and cool inside the home where it matters. Experts have suggested widening the distance between the shrubbery and the house’s walls in order to increase this area for dead air.

In landscaping your yard or garden, it is important to maximize the benefits by using an aesthetically pleasing landscape. After all, energy efficiency in the area will effectively save energy and money in the long run.