Many locations experience strong winds for much of the year. This can cause extreme infiltration, especially near entrance areas or service doors. Any project to stifle the force of these prevailing winds reduces the load on the air-handling system, caused by the outside-air infiltration. Trees and shrubs as a windbreak are an aesthetic solution. Other architectural elements can be carefully integrated into the landscape, such as opaque screens, wood fencing with alternating slats, or even transparent glass block walls. Careful placement of any of these windscreens can greatly improve infiltration control.
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Excerpt from Energy Conservation Projects.