“According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can reduce a home’s heating and cooling needs by 25 percent,” says Santee Cooper Vice President of Retail Operations Zack Dusenbury. “The DOE estimates three properly placed trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.”

The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) says incorporating shading concepts into your landscaping design can help reduce your home’s cooling needs by lowering the surrounding air temperature as much as 9 degrees. Because cool air settles near the ground, EERE says air temperatures directly beneath trees can be as much as 25 degrees cooler. On average, EERE says a well-designed landscape provides enough energy savings to pay for itself in less than eight years.

Effective shading requires you to know the size, shape and location of the shadow your trees will cast. To block solar heat in the summer but allow for it during the winter, EERE suggests using deciduous trees (e.g. maple, oak, elm, birch) that lose their leaves during the colder seasons. To provide continuous shade or to block heavy winds, EERE recommends evergreen trees (e.g. cedar, fir, pine, spruce, live oak) or shrubs.

Trees, shrubs and groundcover plants can also shade the ground and pavement around the home, which reduces heat radiation and cools the air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. Vines and shrubs planted close to the house will shade walls and windows within a few years, but EERE says avoid planting dense foliage immediately next to a home where wetness or continual humidity are problems. Well-landscaped homes in wet areas allow winds to flow around the home, keeping the home and its surrounding soil reasonably dry.

“Effective energy-efficient landscaping is that harmony between your home and the natural elements surrounding it,” Dusenbury says. “In addition to curb appeal, you’ll be saving money.”

Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility, and the state’s largest power producer. The ultimate source of electricity for 2 million South Carolinians, Santee Cooper is dedicated to being the state’s leading resource for improving the quality of life for the people of South Carolina. For more information, visit www.santeecooper.com.