Energy-efficient landscaping

Energy-efficient landscaping is a type of landscaping designed for the purpose of conserving energy. There is a distinction between the embedded energy of materials and constructing the landscape, and the energy consumed by the maintenance and operations of a landscape.

Design techniques include:
* Planting trees for the purpose of providing shade, which reduces cooling costs.
* Planting or building windbreaks to slow winds near buildings, which prevents heat loss.
* Wall sheltering, where shrubbery or vines are used to create a windbreak directly against a wall.
* Earth sheltering and positioning buildings to take advantage of natural landforms as windbreaks.
* Green roofs that cool buildings with extra thermal mass and evapotranspiration.
* Reducing the heat island effect with pervious paving, high albedo paving, shade, and minimizing paved areas.
* Site lighting with full cut off fixtures, light level sensors, and high efficiency fixtures

Energy-efficient landscaping techniques include using local materials, on-site composting and chipping to reduce greenwaste hauling, hand tools instead of gasoline-powered, and also may involve using drought-resistant plantings in arid areas, buying stock from local growers to avoid energy in transportation, and similar techniques.

ee also

* Energy conservation
* Keyline design
* Landscape architecture
* Landscape planning
* Roof garden
* Sustainable architecture
* Sustainable landscape architecture
* Water conservation
* Xeriscaping

External links

* [http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/ The Green Building Sourcebook has a section on landscaping]
* [http://www.ecologicalhomeideas.com ecoLogical Home Ideas] Magazine for green home building/remodeling
* [http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=8/ Stopwaste.org]