If your air conditioning unit sits out in the sun, consider planting trees or shrubs nearby to shade it-but do not block the airflow. If your system is located on the roof, look ... read full tip

If your air conditioning unit sits out in the sun, consider planting trees or shrubs nearby to shade it-but do not block the airflow. If your system is located on the roof, look into shading it with a screen or trellis. Shaded air conditioners (specifically individual room units) can use up to 10 percent less energy than ones operating in the sun.

If your home is equipped with a room air conditioner, you could save about 58 kilowatts per year-about $6 worth of energy per unit-just by shading it from the sun.

If all of the estimated 23.3 million U.S. households that are cooled by room air conditioners added trees, shrubs, or screens to shade their systems, the total energy savings could exceed 2 billion kilowatts per year-enough energy to provide the annual cooling needs for nearly 800,000 American homes.

U.S. Department of Energy (PDF)
U.S. Department of Energy