When strategically placed, trees can conserve energy by reducing energy demands. Trees are great evapotranspiration “engines,” literally cooling the air around them by absorbing energy as the water in leaves is converted from liquid to gas.
Trees cast shade on buildings in the summer, lowering the need for cooling, and block or slow cold winds as windbreaks during the winter. Trees that loose their leaves seasonally also allow warming solar radiation though deciduous canopies during the dormant season.