Energy-efficient landscaping
Among its various term usage, energy-efficient landscaping can refer to the reduction of energy usage in maintenance and operation of the landscape narrowly for the user/owner of the site,[1][2] or broadly for the energy conservation of the global environment, such as mitigating urban heat island effect with reflective surface (increase albedo) or reducing the need of water treatment and sewage by using pervious pavement.
Common methods of energy-efficient landscaping include reducing heat or cooling load of a building through shade, wind-blocking, and insulation; management of water; and using plants or construction material that cost less energy.
Design techniques include: Planting trees for the purpose of providing shade, which reduces cooling costs.
Planting the trees too close to the building, however, is also not desirable, as it might create the danger of touching above-ground or underground utility lines.
Windbreaks should be designed to intercept and redirect the Winter winds before they reach the house and outdoor areas with playgrounds or sensitive plants.
Other than Earth Sheltering, a simpler way of taking advantage of natural landform is using geology, such as mountains, for shade.
In peak energy consumption reduction, green roof also has a notable effect, and the leaf area index and soil depth are both positively related to its performance.
A recent study has found, through mathematical modelling, that [10] when the vegetation itself caught fire, heat does penetrate downward (rather slowly as the thermal conductivity of soil is low), eventually damaging the roof itself.
By study, common green roofs types in the market would increase the load on the rood by 1.2 to 2.43 kilo-newton per square meter.
[12] By using pervious paving, however, the amount of infiltrated storm-water will be increased in post-development area, and the pollutants in the filtrated water can be reduced; thus the problem can be mitigated.
In Low Impact Development 2008 Conference, ASCE performed two bench-scale study to examine the effectiveness of permeable interlocking concrete pavement in terms of water flow rate and the role of microbial colonies in pollutant removal in the micro-environment of porous pavement.
Types of Pervious pavement include:[12] Advantage: Relatively low cost; Easy access to the material; Workers are experienced with it Disadvantage: Susceptible to water damage; Usually used for short-term only; Low relative strength Advantage: High structural strength; Easy access to the material Disadvantage: Slow construction process; High initial cost Advantage: Ease of Construction, Aesthetics, Ease of maintenance and repair Disadvantage: High Cost; Only can be used for low speed road way Advantage: Wide variety of products; Relatively inexpensive; Ease of maintenance and repair Disadvantage: Typically limited to parking areas The decision among different permeable pavement types depends on the need of the project, available material and equipment, and budget.
The sun rises from East and sets in West perfectly only on the autumnal and vernal equinoxes, and during the vast majority of the year, Sun travels slightly southward and eastward depending on whether it is summer or winter and on whether the observer is in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere.
Energy-efficient landscaping techniques include using local materials, on-site composting and chipping to reduce green waste 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.
