Energy costs can be exponentially high, and while there’s lots you can do indoors to improve your home’s energy efficiency, there’s plenty that can go on outside to help you beat the heat in the warm months to come. A pesky phenomenon called the heat island effect happens notoriously in urban areas, wherein built-up cities and communities are likely to be hotter than more rural areas. Here’s how you can leverage landscaping to mitigate the rise in temperature caused by heat islands.
Using Trees and Greenery to Stop Urban Heat Islands
Vegetation has cooling effects, lowering surface and air temperatures with the shade they provide and thereby helping to reduce boiling hot temperatures by anywhere from 2–9°F . When planted in the right places, trees can effectively stop the sun from shining on paved areas that give off a lot of heat. In addition, trees plotted near west facing windows can help to cool a building by offering additional shade and bringing less direct, hot, sunlight inside.
Benefits of Lowering Heat Island Effect
The following benefits can be gleaned from a well-planned landscape aimed at mitigating urban heat islands.
– Energy Efficiency: less heat in buildings means less money spent on air conditioning
– Optimal Air Quality: with less energy wasted, less air pollutants and greenhouse emissions will ultimately be produced.
– Less Maintenance: The shade of a tree can help to lessen wear on pavement, making maintenance a less frequent mandate.
– Aesthetic Perks: We needn’t forget in all our talk about energy efficiency that a beautiful landscape is valued and enjoyed by most all onlookers!
Lehnhoff’s Landscaping in Baltimore, Maryland can provide landscaping design services to help you lower temperatures and save money in your Maryland home.To learn more, contact Lehnhoff’s Landscaping by calling 443.921.5789 or visit LehnoffsLandscaping.com today!
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