27 When major trees are sited correctly next to buildings, owners can lower energy use while adding to the city’s urban forest Large deciduous trees can block the sun’s direct heat in summer; conifers can block prevailing winds in winter The Department of Energy has estimated that correctly sited trees can save 25 percent of a building’s energy cost 49 Satellite surveys of Washington show that a great deal of the plantable land is on residential parcels So Washington homeowners can “grow” the city’s tree canopy significantly by adding trees to their yards Fig. 44 (left) Satellite image of the “heat island” of pavement by 1913 Mass shown in Fig. 41. Advice on siting trees • To maximize shade, locate on the southwestern and western sides of building; • For shade from the morning sun, plant on the southeastern and southern sides; • Add evergreen trees where they will shield a building from wind, so it requires less heat in winter. Fig. 45 Off the grid: Where to plant trees for energy efficiency on DC avenues. On Washington’s cross-cutting avenues, large-type trees can lower use of air conditioning in summer and heat in winter. See HistorY: Designed Forest on page 9. Step 6: Plant to save energy Fig. 43 (left) Another one in! This southwest-facing wall of the Côte d’Ivoire embassy (2424 Mass) will be cooled by the swamp white oak we are shown planting in 2009.
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