I usually place the fan so it faces outside. I figure out which way the wind is blowing, open two windows on opposite ends of the room/house that correspond wi

I usually place the fan so it faces outside. I figure out which way the wind is blowing, open two windows on opposite ends of the room/house that correspond with the wind direction, and then place the fan, facing out, on the downwind end of the room/house. My thinking is that the wind will push itself into the house through the fan-less open window, but that it will then lose momentum. Then, the fan on the downwind side of the house will help pull the air back out of the house, creating circulation that doesn't have to fight against the wind. Recently, I bought a whole-house attic fan. Now, I open a window on the upwind side of the house and turn on the attic fan, which is enough to suck a toupee off someone's head. The attic fan both circulates cooler air and also clears out the hot air built up in the attic, which helps a lot.