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Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)

Energy & Health Benefits

Reference Number: MTAS-1350
Reviewed Date: 11/21/2022

Benefits — Energy:

  • Trees save energy by providing cooling in the hotter months and serving as a windbreak in winter. As a result, less fossil fuel is burned for heating and cooling. Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent. Trees strategically placed for windbreak protection can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating.
  • Trees reduce glare on sunny days.

Benefits — Health:

  • Trees create feelings of relaxation and well-being when people live and work within urban forests.
  • Trees provide privacy and sense of solitude and security.
  • Trees shorten post-operative hospital stays when patients are placed in rooms with a view of trees and open spaces.