I live in central North Carolina with no AC, and it is not a hardship, even on days like today when it's already 89 degrees before 11 am. This is possible because of the design of my house, which is the opposite of a LEED design. https://twitter.com/go_oat/status/1285215352058712064

My house was a typical middle-class house buillt around 1900. It has a deep, wrap-around front porch, small rooms that are connected by doorways, and tall, double-hung windows in each room. The most lived-in rooms (kitchen, parlors, main bedrooms) have windows on 2 or 3 walls.

Downstairs rooms have 10' ceilings. We have large canopy trees in the front and back yards. The porch keeps the downstairs front room (where my wife works) shaded and relatively cool. She uses a small table fan for comfort.

The canopy trees reduce the heat load on the roof and walls of the house through the day, reducing the amount of radiant heat coming through the walls.

The double-hung windows, which can be opened at the top and bottom simultaneously, allow hot air near the ceiling to escape, while allowing cooler outside air to enter below. Cross-ventillation lets outdoor breezes move through the house.

Curtains or blinds, especially those which a white lining or backing, also tremendously reduce the amount of radiant heat entering the house during the day. They are opened at night to allow cool air to enter.

We also have ceiling fans in most rooms, and LED lighting has really reduced the amount of heat that used to be produced by incandescent bulbs. At night we use a ceiling fan and a box-type window fan in our bedroom. A cool shower before bed can really keep you comfortable.

This is all very much in the mode of @wrathofgnon and @stevemouzon -- that is, the long-term solution to managing climate and livability will require us to take a hard look at traditional modes of building that allowed people to cope with climate ....

without using a tremendous amount of energy and without a lot of gimmicky technology.

FIN