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Shelter your house from winds that cool it in winter and warm it in summer
A windbreak on the north or west sides of a house can reduce the chilling effect of cold winter winds. Similarly, planting windbreaks on the south and west sides of a house can help deflect hot summer winds that tend to pull cooler conditioned air from the inside. Evergreen trees and tall shrubs planted close together make the best windbreaks, but even vines grown on trellises help to deflect wind around windows, which are the most poorly insulated parts of a house.
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Shade windows and walls from the summer sun
Trees planted to shade the southern and western windows are effective barriers to light in the hot summer sun. Using deciduous will block the sun when it is not desired and allow it to pass through to the home in the winter when the energy is desired. Not only to trees block direct sunlight, but water evaporating from trees helps cool surrounding air. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, trees that shade the south and southwest sides of a house can cut between $100 and $250 annually from air-conditioning costs. If your property is unshaded, planting the right trees in the right places offers long-term benefits. The height, growth rate, regional adaptability, branch spread, and shape of different tree varieties are all factors to consider in choosing the most beneficial trees.
Keep cool with a well maintained lawn
A healthy front lawn has the same cooling effect as an 8-1/2 ton air-conditioning compressor according to a Mississippi State University study. The plants transpire, or evaporate water through the leaves surface, to cool themselves. In addition to cooling themselves off, the keep the immediate area cool as well. About half of the heat energy directed to a turf area is eliminated by transpiration.
"When the temperature of the sidewalk is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the adjacent lawn remains near 75. This cooling may last into the night, with studies showing a 13-degree cooling at 9 p.m." scientists say.
Automotive
Coast to red lights
As you are approaching an intersection, stop pressing your gas pedal as soon as you recognize you will not be able to pass through. You will prevent wasting gas to propel your car forward toward an eventual stop, you will reduce wear on your brakes by taking advantage of the stopping power of wind resistance, and if you have not stopped by the time the light changes back to green, you will be likely to have maintained more of the forward momentum your vehicle already had.
Don’t tailgate.
Driving too close to the vehicle in front of you forces you to use brakes more often. Unless you are in heavy traffic, you should only rarely need to use your brakes on the highway. Every time you use your brakes, you are reducing the gas mileage of your vehicle. An added bonus is the reduced likelihood of getting in a car accident.
Don’t speed on the highway.
Motor vehicles today are engineered to optimize efficiency around 65 miles per hour. When you travel above that level, you will sacrifice the distance traveled per gallon of gas.
Drive Sensibly
Aggressive driving wastes gas and can lower your mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also much safer for you and others.
Maintain your vehicle
Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results may vary based upon the type of repair and how well it is done. A faulty oxygen sensor can harm your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
Keep your tires properly inflated
You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by .4 percent for every 1psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are also safer and last longer.
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