TY - JOUR T1 - Can Windbreaks Reduce Energy use in a Mobile Home Park? JF - Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) JO - JOA SP - 190 LP - 195 DO - 10.48044/jauf.1985.043 VL - 11 IS - 6 AU - Marie-Francoise Walk AU - David R DeWalle AU - Gordon M. Heisler Y1 - 1985/06/01 UR - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/11/6/190.abstract N2 - Effects of a coniferous windbreak on electrical energy use in a 66-unit mobile home park in central Pennsylvania were studied during the winters of 1981-82 and 1982-83. A 100-m long, single-row windbreak of white spruce (Picea glauca) trees with an average height of 6 m was artifically erected on the upwind edge of the park in 1981-82. During the winter of 1982-83 no windbreak was present. Wind speeds in the mobile home park were reduced by the windbreak by 9% at 3H downwind from the windbreak (H = windbreak height), by 8% at 13H downwind, and 0% at30H downwind. Using equations relating electrical energy use to climatic variables, the energy use of 13 homes was found to be similar between the 2 winters, 8 homes displayed a significantly lower energy use with the windbreak in place, and 20 homes showed a higher energy use with the windbreak in place. Differences in energy use between winters were not attributable to the windbreak; rather, they were due to changes in behavior of the occupants. If the windbreak had reduced wind speed by 50% rather than 0-9% and other factors were constant, total winter electrical energy use would have been reduced by an estimated 6.6%. ER -