JNJ wrote:

...One thing I want to do is reduce the need for heating and/or AC consumption.
Now, our property is lined with lots of trees in the back and a few in the
front...


Depending on how your house is situated, planting deciduous trees to the
south of the house (on the assumption that your house is in the Northern
hemisphere) will help in the long term. They will shade the house in the
summer and allow the sun to come through in the winter. This is a long
term solution, since the trees have to be fairly tall in order to
provide shade in the summer when the sun is high.

Awnings on the windows facing south can also help reduce solar heating
in the summer. If they're at the right level, they will let the winter
sun in and block the summer sun. Otherwise they can just be removed for
the winter (or retracted).