Cool Your Home Naturally With Smart Landscaping

With 236 and 244 days of sunshine each year in Orlando and Tampa respectively, Florida isn’t called the Sunshine State for nothing! But while we may love basking in the warm glow of the Florida sun, our electricity bills don’t always feel the same. Solar heat absorbed through window, roofs and the like can significantly increase energy usage as your air conditioner has to work harder to cool your home. But fortunately for those of us who are lucky enough to call Florida home, there are easy ways we can reduce solar heat gain and keep our energy usage down — and it all start with plants.

Plants not only add beauty and value to your home, but they can help naturally cool your home and reduce your energy bills in the process. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, well-designed landscaping can pay for itself in less than eight years! Learn how you can use strategic landscaping to your home comfort’s advantage below.

Trees

Trees are one of the best ways to shade your home naturally, which can significantly decrease the amount of heat gain your home experiences. When your home experiences less heat gain, your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home cool, meaning you’ll benefit from serious savings on your electric bill. If you decide to plant trees in your yard, opt for trees with high branches and spreading crowns since these provide the most shade for your buck.

Vines

Vines are beautiful, low maintenance and can help keep your home cool the natural way. As vines grow up the side of your home, they create a natural barrier between your home and the sun, making it harder for heat to penetrate your home. The result? A cooler home and lower energy bills. Win-win!

Shrubs

Shrubs help cool your home naturally in more ways than one. Planting shrubs by windows can help provide an additional barrier between your home and the sun, but you can also use shrubs to create a barrier between the condenser unit of your AC and the sun. As the sun beats down on your condenser unit, your air conditioning system has to work harder to cool your home. By creating a natural barrier between the device and the sun, you can help take extra stress off your AC and save energy as a result.

Learn More Ways to Cool Your Home for Less With Energy Air

When strategic landscaping isn’t enough to lower your energy bills, you can rely on the professionals at Energy Air to help you keep cool for less. At Energy Air, we offer a wide range of products and services designed to keep your home comfortable year round without breaking the bank. If you live in the Orlando or Tampa Bay area and are looking for quality AC services, contact us today to learn what we can do for you.