DATE:     4/12/01
CONTACTS: Dr. Don Ham, Department of Forest Resources, 
          (864) 656-2480
          Mary Haque, ASLA, RLA, Department of Horticulture, 
          (864) 656-4958
          Lolly Tai, ASLA, RLA, Department of Planning and 
          Landscape Architecture (864) 656-3884
WRITERS:  Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876
          Bob Polomski, (864) 656-2604

Save money by planting and keeping trees:
Clemson Extension publication shows how

     CLEMSON -- Power bills seem to get higher and higher every year.
If you want to cut your power bill   and add some beauty -- plant 
some trees, according to a new Clemson University publication.
     Landscape Design for Energy Efficiency (EC 706) tells you how 
to use landscape plantings to reduce energy costs by increasing shade
in summer and solar heat in winter. Many other ways to save money 
and at the same time improve your environment are included.
     An appealing layout, which includes color photos, diagrams,
pertinent quotations and checklists, makes this book a pleasant as 
well as a useful tool for planning landscapes.
     The authors begin the book with an overview of South Carolina's
energy use. Surprisingly, S.C. ranks 24th in the nation for total
residential energy consumption and imports 98 percent of its main
energy resources. 
     The first chapter offers landscaping ideas that can save as 
much as 30 percent on heating and cooling bills. Eight steps of 
basic landscape design and two needs checklists are included in 
the second chapter; low maintenance ideas for landscaping are in 
the third. The final chapter shows how to protect existing trees 
as you build a new home or renovate a landscape. By protecting
large trees, the authors estimate you could save more than $5,000 
over the next twenty years.
     Relevant quotations are sprinkled throughout the book, 
including the following from Benjamin Franklin: "Beware of little
expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship."
     Lolly Tai and Mary Haque, Clemson University professors and
landscape architects and Don Ham, Clemson professor and Clemson
Extension urban forestry specialist, wrote the book.
     The publication is available at Clemson Extension offices 
for $8.00. The publication is also available online at
http://cufan.clemson.edu/olos/, where you may purchase it with 
a Visa or MasterCard.                 
     This publication can also be obtained through U. S. mail 
from Clemson University's Bulletin Room, Room 96, Poole Agricultural
Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0129. Make checks
payable to Clemson University. There are no taxes, shipping or 
handling charges for this publication.
                              END