>A lot of the need for AC (and having lights on) is just really, really bad modern house design. Agreed, but people also seem uninterested in simple techniques

>A lot of the need for AC (and having lights on) is just really, really bad modern house design. Agreed, but people also seem uninterested in simple techniques to work with what they've got. I live in MA, in an old house that doesn't have much in the way of modern energy efficiency but we get by without AC on all but the hottest days of the year by doing really simple things. Open windows at night. Close them in the morning. Pull the blinds down on windows that have sun exposure. You get the idea. The only serious retrofit we've done so far is have a contractor add cellulose insulation to the attic. On 90+ degree days the second floor will reach 80+ by the evening so then we turn on the AC if a window fan is unable to bring the temperature back down to something comfortable. In our climate AC should be the backup plan, not the primary cooling system.