Catastrophic Loss of Tree Canopy as an Opportunity to Study the Effect of Trees on Energy Use (00-DG-11244225-241)

This project documented catastrophic weather events in order to study the effect urban trees has on energy conservation.

Trees can help save residential heating and cooling costs while sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The extent ofthese benefits is regionally dependent and more data is needed to support effective management of urban trees for energy conservation. The objective ofthis project is to document changes in heating and cooling energy use after the loss of a significant percentage of a community's tree cover due to a catastrophic event, such as an ice storm. These events result in an abrupt change in tree density allowing before-and-after comparisons of energy use in a large population of homes.

Project Objectives: This project will document changes in energy use in a community that has recently experienced the loss of a significant percentage of its trees and canopy due to a catastrophic event, such as a snow, ice or windstorm. These catastrophic events provide a significant, abrupt change in tree density allowing before-and-after comparisons of energy use in a large, tightly grouped population of homes.

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