Cool Ways to Cut Your AC Use in Ohio Part 2
Posted onUse The Environment To Cool Your Home
Many Ohio residential electricity customers this summer faced high power bills this summer. In our previous article, we covered some easy ways to Cut Your AC Use. However, there are also lots of ways that landscaping can cool your home. In fact, using energy efficient landscaping can reduce your home's energy usage by 25% compared to a typical house. And for some trees and shrubs, autumn is the time to plant. So, check out these cool ways to cut your AC use in Ohio!
See The Forest For The Trees
A great way to minimize summer heating is to shade your entire home. By lowering the ambient temperature in the home, your AC won’t have to cool as much. Ohio homes go through all of the extremes of the seasons. Plant leafy trees on your south and west sides to block out the sun in the summer. Plant evergreens on the northern sides to block cold winter winds. High winter winds can force cold air more easily into your home through cracks and gas. Planting windbreaks reduces the wind's strength, saving you energy. When temperature extremes are reduced, so are your bills.
Hardscape Your Way To Efficiently Cool
Hardscaping is the structural brother to landscaping. Consider adding things like vining trellises in front of windows to block sun, or an awning or arch over a door to keep glare and heat away. Certain additions like ponds can act as great heatsinks, trapping up to 30º of ambient heat from the immediate area.
Extreme Green Energy Saving Machine
While it might be a little extreme, green roofs can be a fantastic option for keeping heat out of your home by reducing the thermal load that enters your home. A basic green roof is a layer of plants, in some cases like grass or clover, and in other cases, even more extensive plants. These plants are placed over a drainage layer on a flat or shallowly sloped roof. They reduce the amount of solar heat that beats down on your roof, and have additional benefits such as increasing air quality, and reducing drainage. Obviously, it's not a solution for most homes so we recommend trying out some other tips in most cases. However, if you like the idea, go for it!
Go Green To Save Some Green
If you’ve been trying to find some ways to reduce your bills, try a little green landscaping to give you savings for years to come. Not all energy saving landscaping is bad, and it’s not something to be afraid of either. Reduce your energy bills today. And for news, plans, and all your other energy shopping needs, check out www.ohenergyratings.com
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