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Page 15 <br />VII. Trees and Building Energy Use <br />Trees affect energy consumption by shading buildings, providing evaporative cooling, and blocking winter winds. <br />Trees tend to reduce building energy consumption in the summer months and can either increase or decrease <br />building energy use in the winter months, depending on the location of trees around the building. Estimates of tree <br />effects on energy use are based on field measurements of tree distance and direction to space conditioned <br />residential buildings (McPherson and Simpson 1999). <br />Because energy-related data were not collected, energy savings and carbon avoided cannot be calculated. <br />⁵ Trees modify climate, produce shade, and reduce wind speeds. Increased energy use or costs are likely due to these tree-building interactions creating a <br />cooling effect during the winter season. For example, a tree (particularly evergreen species) located on the southern side of a residential building may produce a <br />shading effect that causes increases in heating requirements. <br />Table 3. Annual energy savings due to trees near residential buildings, City of Pleasanton <br />Heating Cooling Total <br />MBTUa 0 N/A 0 <br />MWHb 0 0 0 <br />Carbon Avoided (pounds)0 0 0 <br />aMBTU - one million British Thermal Units <br />bMWH - megawatt-hour <br />Table 4. Annual savings a($) in residential energy expenditure during heating and cooling seasons, City of <br />Pleasanton <br />Heating Cooling Total <br />MBTUb 0 N/A 0 <br />MWHc 0 0 0 <br />Carbon Avoided 0 0 0 <br />bBased on the prices of $204.7 per MWH and $12.9396400362223 per MBTU (see Appendix I for more details) <br />cMBTU - one million British Thermal Units <br />cMWH - megawatt-hour