Energy-Wise Landscaping Design [Book]

By archives on Jun. 1, 2010 | Topics: book, Giveaways, Vegetation | 60 Comments

Update: this book giveaway has concluded, thank you all for participating!

When you think about sustainable landscaping, you probably consider water efficiency and using low-maintenance native plantings. But do you think about energy efficiency? Cooling the air, cooling the ground, and harnessing the sun, wind, and water? Landscape architect Sue Reed has put together a comprehensive resource on the topic in Energy-Wise Landscape Design: A New Approach for your Home and Garden. In the new book by New Society Publishers, Reed explains how to save money and energy, while creating a beautiful and natural landscape.

The publisher was kind enough to send us a review copy of Reed’s book, which covers the following topics:

Ch1: The Sun and the Wind
Ch2: Shading the House
Ch3: Cooling the Air Around the House
Ch4: Cooling the Ground Near the House
Ch5: Taking Advantage of the Sun’s Heat
Ch6: Reducing the Chilling Effect of Winter Wind
Ch7: Creating Healthy Working Ecosystems
Ch8: Reducing (or Eliminating) Lawn
Ch9: Using Water Efficiently
Ch10: Fitting the Landscape to the Land
Ch11: Designing the Car Zone
Ch12: Making the Most of Every Element
Ch13: Situating New Homes with Energy in Mind
Ch14: Installing and Maintaining Planted Areas
Ch15: Building Structures in the Landscape
Ch16: Constructing New Homesites
Ch17: Making Electricity from Sunlight
Ch18: Generating Electricity from the Wind
Ch19: Harnessing the Energy of Flowing Water
Ch20: Capturing the Warmth of the Ground
Ch21: Lighting with Energy in Mind

Reed provides general guidelines backed up by design tips, construction tips, and action items to implement the guidelines successfully. As a result, I think you’ll find Energy-Wise Landscape Design both highly informative and simply understood at the same time.

[+] Buy a copy of Energy-Wise Landscape Design from Amazon.

About archives: This article was contributed by the founder of Jetson Green. With the arrival of new ownership in December 2012, Preston left Jetson Green to pursue other business opportunities. If you have questions or need assistance, contact tips@jetsongreen.com.

http://atomdavis.weebly.com/ atom davis

pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeee
http://www.propertysunturkey.com/home property sun turkey

Excellent information for the ever increasing need to consider these when designing and building properties
Sunny Dreemz

This sounds like a great read. Thanks for the giveaway!
Stephen

Looks like a very interesting book.
http://www.desertverde.com nan

Looks like a great reference book! Thank you!
sean

Looks like a great book and a great prize. Thanks for the chance.
Carpenter183

So much want.
Fred Bartlett

Looks like a great resource. I’d love to have one. Thanks for the give-away!
Kip Butts

I think the idea of sustainable landscaping is interesting but I have little knowledge in the field. Economical use of water solar and wind is not only practical but is a admiralbe legacy ofr those who follow.
Anonymous

This sort of thing makes so much sense. I have been trying to find ways to improve my yard by incorporating this type of thinking but I don’t really know enough about it so this would be a great read for me. I love the idea of a yard that requires little in the way of care yet actually provides a function in the way of shading or food or cooling, etc.
Jay

Great topic that is not given enough attention. Landscaping is an easy and effective solution for energy efficiency, not to mention increasing home value, natural beauty and the calming affect.
http://www.tinyhousedesign.com Michael Janzen

Sounds like a great book and overlooked topic. Count me in
http://www.springpointdesign.com Andrea Warchaizer

looking forward to reading the book!
http://www.GreenLandlady.com Kimberly Madrigal

What a great idea! Of course, I have thought about the energy saved by shading, reducing asphalt, deciduous trees on the South side and so on, but this book offers even more reasons to reconsider our lawn prone landscapes.
Jennifer

Looks facinating. Thank you for the giveaway.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Edwin-Austin/742393795 Edwin Austin

Everyone should read this…but me first!
http://www.sem-architects.com/ dgc

Thanks to Landscape architect Sue Reed for putting together such a useful document!
Matt

Awesome! Looks like a great read.
http://twitter.com/driftwood78 Shaun Smakal

This would definitely be a great resource for developing site plans and designs for clients!
Harland Harris

Sounds like the right info at the right time.
http://www.ecopotential.net Kimberly Kreth

Looks like a great informative reference book! Would love to learn more about sustainable landscaping, thanks for the opportunity!
Linda Hanlon

It’s time to live an outdoor life at home. Great ideas for improving the efficiency and beauty of our living spaces are always needed!
Jason

It looks like a wonderful book. Though I’ve seen a fair number of home-scale permaculture and edible landscapes, the energetics are often hardest to get right or see as much of in the bookstore. Thanks!
Barry Rosengrant

We are finishing up specifications on “The Greenest Home in California” using components from E-Space Systems http://www.E-SpaceSystems.net . One of the energy generation components is converting an existing swimming pool in to a landscaped geo-thermal unit. Water tubes will be snaked around below and within the earth used to fill the pool and glycol treated water will be pulled into the heat/cool compressor. The compressor will be solar powered with a state-of-the-art Solar Concentrator (based on Fresnel Glass magnifiers) and an equally advanced Lithium Ion battery back up which will store excess electricity for night time use. Excess heat produced from the Solar Concentrator will be captured for indoor use. Other water saving components are being designed in to the project.
Tina Koral

As a landscape design student, I’m very interested in the content of this book! Thanks for writing it!
diana

Worth a try! Sue, have you researched solar powered lawn mowers?
christina

It is nice that is promoting design beginning at the most basic level – a passive and very sustainable approach.
Tyler Laskowski

Sounds like a good read!
carolyn

This book sounds like the first of its kind……..I’m buying it if I dont win it!
Stephen Gibson

I would love to learn more about the strategies described in this book!
http://soccercs.wordpress.com Palila

Nice!Looks like it might be full of useful information.
Erik

Looks like it covers several important topics related to the integration of site and structure. I’ll give it a read.
http://www.plantsolutions.com Joe Zazzera

Excellent, I am particularly interested in micro climate cooling around homes and businesses with vegetation. We know that solar panels operate more efficency when surrounded by cooler air. I would hope to see further studies in that area. I believe this is a great step.
KBHC

This sounds like a really useful book. We just bought a house and are completely remodeling and re-doing all the landscaping. It would be great to have this resource!
http://www.TexasPonds.com Matt Boring

Great book. I’ll have to get my hands on a copy. Another thing that we’re starting to look at is groundwater recharge to help offset some of the effects of impermeable cover.
Katrina

This would be awesome as a student studying landscape architecture!
http://twitter.com/zenofzne David Williams

Sounds like the some of the material covered in a class I took at MIT in the late 70′s, “Design with Microclimate”
Subhash Reddy

This is the first time Residential Landscaping subject has been addressed for its comprehensive and real functions and not just for appearance.
Ivan Russell

This looks interesting!
Anonymous

Awesome resource!
soluckyducky at {gmail} dot {com}
Judy

Looks like the book has tons of great, much-needed info! Thanks.
Ruben

Brilliant idea for a book; I hope the execution matches the inspiration!
Shawn

I need it – IN ALABAMA!!!
Rob DiDomenico

perfect timing! I just finished my house and am starting to work on the landscaping. Impressive table of contents, with many things I did not even consider. Hope I win, but if not, I will have to go to BN to check it out. Thanks.
philonel

I like the chapter title, “Situating New Homes with Energy in MInd.”
So easy to do yet hardly ever done.
Andrew_F

Sounds like a great book – as everyone else has said
Anonymous

this book sounds interesting, i think it would help me in my architectural career.
http://jeanmarietodd.wordpress.com/ Jeanmarie Todd

I just stumbled on this site for the first time. Gorgeous photos, brilliant ideas, and now you’re giving away cool books? What could be better! I’m not in a position to build the kind of homes you’re showcasing, but I compost, recycle, garden, keep goats and chickens, work from home, and in general try to live as greenly as possible. And I’m always trying to learn more and do more. So I would make one grateful giveaway recipient, and a worthy one at that!
Hal

I am just purchasing a new modular home. The previous owner started it and could not finish. It is at a state where all the crucial energy management choices need to be made. I would love to explore the options afforded by green construction. I live in Asheville, NC and we are usually at the front of green building, but I don’t know much about green landscaping and could always use more education on how to make my home more ‘earth friendly’.
Anonymous

ooooo I would love to win this for my hubby! we are avid organic gardeners and I know he would love this! thanks for the chance!
http://blackcherryconcepts.com James Cotton Nepenthe

Perfect! This is the summer of the backyard renovation over at my place!!!
scott

I am an organic gardener and uber environmentalist that is trying every day to limit my impact on the earth. Because of this, I want this book very badly! Thank you!
Casey Shaw

Looks like a great read! Currently developing an infill lot in NC
Cynthia Leigh-Nussenblatt

We are closing on our new house next month. Instead of building a new house we decieded buy a perowned home not adding another Carbon footprint to the world. This book will be very help full, there is not any landscaping at our new house.
Illuminata

Perfect timing! Just the reference I’ve been looking for.
- http://www.jetsongreen.com Preston
  
  Congrats! You’re the winner. I’ll email you shortly to get your address and information for shipment.
http://www.estudiocas.arq.br Henrique Benites

This books seems to be very interesting and worth reading. Just hope I can get the chance to have this giveaway.
Todd

Cooler air and Coorler ground is something I could use in our May Drought her in TX
Brenda Wadley

I need this type of water permeable hard surface for my walking paths and parking area as I landscape my formal gardens at Homewood, historic reproduction of the 1803 Homewood in Baltimore. Our Homewood is in Pleasant Grove, Utah County. I saw a similar paving material at the USU gardens in Kaysville, and haven’t found where I can purchase this locally. I was so excited to see your website today.
Thanks for any info you can send.
Matthew

please pick me

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