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Warm up to Mother Nature
Conserve Energy and Save on Your Heating Bill
By April E. Clark
The department suggests that when building a home in the northern hemisphere, note its orientation and position along the structure's long axis (east to west). It says the longest wall with the most window area should face south or southeast, while a home's north-facing and west-facing walls should have fewer windows, as these walls generally face winter's prevailing winds. North-facing windows receive little direct sunlight.
Dean Vigil, a father of a young daughter from Glenwood Springs, Colo., agrees. "Window placement in a house is bottom line when figuring out heat loss during the winter," he says. "In Colorado, for example, lavish windows are not exactly practical. At my home, most of the windows face the northeast, so it's always cold in the winter."
Outdoor environmental factors such as trees and landscaping also serve to conserve energy and cut heating costs during the winter. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a study in South Dakota concluded that trees and landscaping, or "windbreaks," situated to the north, west and east of a house cut fuel consumption by 40 percent on average. Also, homes with windbreaks on the windward side averaged 25 percent less fuel consumption than comparable, but unprotected, structures. Evergreen trees are the most conventional form of windbreaks. However, shrubs, bushes and vines near a home can be just as effective at fighting off the winter's chill.
"There are many large trees around my home, and they are important," Vigil says. "Where I live, the cost of living is so high and heating bills are so expensive in the winter that many people work two jobs to keep their kids in school. Any way that nature can help our home is appreciated."
Not only is saving money on heating bills critical for balancing the family budget, but protecting the environment is important for your children's future. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that heating and cooling costs average approximately $600 annually per household, while the energy used in American homes causes more greenhouse gas emissions than automobiles.