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Cara Campbell wrote:Like Jenny, we live in Florida and don't use AC. We used to put window-bangers in 2 rooms in the summer but haven't needed them for many years. We have a white metal roof, radiant barrier, a walk-in attic (rare in S. FL) and solar panels, all of which help keep the roof cool. We made a big mistake not insulating under the roof when the metal was put on, but it would have been very expensive and we thought the radiant barrier was enough. When we had white metal put on the house next door, we did insulate and it made a huge difference. I will say that putting the radiant barrier in the attic (we stapled it ourselves) was our first step and that alone made a HUGE difference. Before, we could feel the heat radiating off the ceiling if we stuck a hand near.
Another important help was installing a whole-house fan. We run it in the morning to pull cool(er) air in and in the evenings when we go to bed. It pulls cool(er) air into the house across our bed. We also have ceiling fans and they are a great help.
We eat a lot of salads and try not to use the oven too much. We cook on the gas burners and use an old window exhaust fan. We do have a solar oven but it's not good, we found, for browning say cauliflower. We have it only for emergencies,
Our house gets great shade in the front yard from a couple of big oaks and a gumbo-limbo. (Unfortunately, that was where our raised beds were and as the oak grew, there went the sun.) In the back we have Bahama shutters on windows, but the back screen door gets a lot of sun in the afternoon (facing west). Sometimes I just hang a towel on it to stop the heat, especially if clothes are drying.
We think that people are too addicted to AC. When we visit a house with it on, it feels really cold but then when we leave it feels really hot outside which tells us it's a matter of acclimation. Most people don't give their bodies an opportunity to adjust as the temperatures warm up. They just run to the AC, then cannot bear to be without it. This is Florida and it should be warm– get used to it instead of fighting it. I don't want to live where it's cold because I hate cold. If you hate heat don't move here.
It also helps that our house was built in the 40s and was designed without AC; we get a great breeze most days.
Riona Abhainn wrote:Welcome to permies, hopefully you're getting all the participants you need for your research.