The Smartest Home Upgrade is Outside.
When we think about staying cool during a Texas summer, our attention naturally turns indoors. We adjust the thermostat, draw the curtains, and dream of better days—in other words, Fall. For many families, however, there is no relief from the heat. Late-summer temperatures can often mean an anxiety-inducing electricity bill—and tough decisions. They can mean tossing and turning through stifling nights because the costs of lost sleep are less stressful than energy costs.
Instead of turning inward, Texas Trees Foundation encourages you to think outside the box. Because one of the most effective ways to cool a home – and a neighborhood -- actually begins just beyond your door, with something as simple and enduring as a tree.
Homes within well-placed trees can reduce air conditioning needs by up to 25 percent.
(Source: U.S. Department of Energy. “Energy Efficient Landscaping(opens in new tab)”)
Well-placed trees shade roofs, walls, and windows so that a home’s surface temperatures never catch and radiate intense sunlight. Strategically planting trees in Texas can reduce cooling costs by up to 25% and lower interior summer temperatures by up to 20°F. To maximize efficiency, place deciduous trees like the Shumard oak or bur oak on the west and south sides of your home, and plant evergreen windbreaks like the yaupon holly or cherry laurel on the north to block winter drafts.
The same trees shielding your home also cool the surrounding air, releasing moisture from their leaves through a self-cooling process called transpiration. Like a green outdoor air conditioner, a tree—as it cools itself off—also cools everything around it. Together, these benefits can reduce a home’s air cooling needs by up to 25 percent, helping lower household energy use during the hottest months of the year.
Texas uses more energy than any other state.
The household benefits of trees are especially important to Texans, since Texas uses more energy than any other state, and cooling accounts for nearly half of residential energy use during the summer months in hot climates (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2022(opens in new tab)). For many households, that creates sustained financial pressure(opens in new tab) during the hottest months, with about
20% of households reporting reducing or foregoing necessities like food and medicine to pay energy bills in 2020
What’s more, a lack of tree canopy has been linked to increased mortality rates, with higher temperatures raising the risk of heat stroke while also exacerbating chronic health conditions. Those most at risk for heat-related illnesses are often the most vulnerable: children and elderly people.
Compounding these risks, low income neighborhoods often have lower tree canopy and hotter temperatures, increasing the risk of heat-related mortality an additional 6% compared to cooler, often wealthier districts." A well established, expansive tree canopy doesn’t just lower energy costs, it saves lives.
Trees offer a practical, lasting solution by helping reduce heat where it begins: outside our homes, along our streets, and throughout our neighborhoods.
At Texas Trees Foundation, we believe every community deserves access to the benefits trees provide, from cooler neighborhoods and healthier environments to lower energy demand and greater resilience during extreme heat.
When we plant trees, we are creating places where people can live more comfortably today while strengthening communities for the future.
Learn more about how to support healthier communities through trees.