Question

Which one of the following would provide the greatest energy benefit to a home in the United States with cold winters and hot summers? A homeowner has large glass windows facing south. In front of these windows the homeowner should planta. nothingb. tall oak treesc. bushes that only grow up to the bottom of the windowsd. a flower bed below the windows, but no trees

Answer 1

Answer:

b. Tall oak trees

Explanation:

In order for the owner to be able to have energy benefit for the home in a place with hot summers and cold winters, the most practical thing would be to have tall oak trees in front of the large glass windows on the southern side. The reason for this is that the oak trees will be beneficial in both seasons. During the hot summers, the oak trees will provide a lot of shade, thus lowering the temperature on the southern side where the large glass windows are. During the winter, the oak trees will have no leafs on them, meaning that the southern side will be able to get the needed sunlight in this period. We come to a situation where the oak trees will reduce the energy spending for cooling down in the summer, and it will reduce the energy spending for warming up in the winter.