AIR CONDITIONING

I'm trying to avoid the idea that central air is the only solution to keeping your house cool in the summer. Air Conditioning in the summer takes up about 25% of your electricity costs... unless you're me, then it's 50% because I hate the humidity here (St. Louis area) and I hate the heat. For smaller homes, window units are pretty awesome. I use to have one in a small two room duplex I lived in and it was great. Per Efficient Home Cooling; it's a central air site, has some good recommendations on reducing your need for AC to start with.

1. Insulate and tighten your house
Improving insulation and air sealing prevents heat from entering your house. Your highest priority should be to check insulation levels and air leaks between your living space and the attic.

2. Get rid of inefficient appliances
Inefficient appliances give off a lot of heat. Especially consider replacing or discarding old or auxiliary refrigerators; replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescents; and unplug electronic equipment when not in use.

3. Consider "cool" exterior finishes
When replacing your roof or painting your house, using light-colored or other "cool" roofing and siding products can reduce your peak cooling demand by 10-15%. There are a number of roofing products that can dramatically cut down on heat gain without blinding the neighbors. Start by looking for ENERGY STAR Reflective Roof Products.

4. Shade or improve windows
To keep high-angle summer sun out, consider horizontal trellises for your east and west-facing windows. Protect south-facing windows with deciduous trees or climbing foliage so you can take advantage of low-angle sun in the winter, when the leaves fall. New windows on those walls that get the most summer sun should have low-e glazings to block unwanted heat gain.

5. Cool with air movement and ventilation
Fan operation uses less energy than air conditioning and can be adequate for attaining desired comfort levels unless you live in a very humid climate.

• Ceiling fans. Ceiling fans cool by creating a low-level "wind chill effect throughout a room. As long as indoor humidity isn't stifling, they can be quite effective. Just remember that a fan cools people - it doesn't actually reduce room temperature - so turn it off when you leave the room. Look for ENERGY STAR rated ceiling fans.
• House fans. Unless you live in a very humid climate, installing a large fan in your top-floor ceiling is a very effective way of cooling your whole house down without central AC. These fans suck air through the house, inducing a strong draft in rooms where windows are open as it pulls cooler, outdoor air inside. Check with your local home improvement retailer about available products and installation."

Aside from the endless Energy Star plugs, I think the suggestions are all pretty good... although, I would opt for LED light bulbs instead of CFL. Use less energy and have no mercury in them. Unless you're getting the air purifying light bulbs, they are super white and creepy awesome. I also found this on the Microsoft Socialist Network:

• Open windows and use portable or ceiling fans instead of operating your air conditioner. Even mild air movement of 1 mph can make you feel three or four degrees cooler. Make sure your ceiling fan is turned for summer -- you should feel the air blown downward. If you live in a relatively dry climate, a bowl or tray of ice in front of a box fan can cool you as it evaporates.
• Use a fan with your window air conditioner to spread the cool air through your home.
• Without blocking air flow, shade your outside compressor. Change air filters monthly during the summer.
• Use a programmable thermostat with your air conditioner to adjust the setting at night or when no one is home.
• Don't place lamps or TVs near your air conditioning thermostat. The heat from these appliances will cause the air conditioner to run longer.
• Consider installing a whole house fan or evaporative cooler (a "swamp cooler") if appropriate for your coimate. Attics trap fierce amounts of heat; a well-placed and -sized whole-house fan pulls air through open windows on the bottom floors and exhausts it through the roof, lowering the inside tempreature and reducing energy use by as much as third compared with an air conditioner. Cost is between $200 and $400 if you install it yourself. An evaporative cooler pulls air over pads soaked in cold water and uses a quarter the energy of refrigerated air, but they're useful only in low-humidity areas. Cost is $200 to $600. (See "Keep cool without pricey AC.")
• Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
• Install awnings on south-facing windows. Because of the angle of the sun, trees, a trellis, or a fence will best shade west-fencing windows. Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity.
• Grown on trellises, vines such as ivy or grapevines can shade windows or the whole side of a house.
• Avoid landscaping with lots of unshaded rock, cement, or asphalt on the south or west sides. It increases the temperature around the house and radiates heat to the house after the sun has set.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents; they produce the same light but use a fifth the energy and heat.
• Air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
• Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional electric range or oven.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and VCRs, into power strips, and turn power strips off when equipment is not in use.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater; 115 degrees is comfortable for most uses.
• Take showers instead of baths to reduce hot water use.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Caulking and weatherstripping will keep cool air in during the summer.
• If you see holes or seperated joints in your ducts, hire a professional to repair them.
• Add insulation around air condition ducts when they are located in unconditioned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, and garages; do the same for whole-house fans where they open to the exterior or to the attic.
• Check to see that your fireplace damper is tightly closed.
• A 10-year-old air conditioner, for example, is only half as efficient as a new one. A quick check of your air conditioner's efficiency can help you decide whether to call in a service professional. Use a household thermometer to measure the temperature of the discharge air from the register and the temperature of the return air at the return-air grill. (Keep the thermometer in place for five minutes to get a steady temperature.) The difference should be from 14 to 20 degrees, experts say. An air conditioner that's not cooling to those levels could be low on refrigerant or have leaks. A unit cooling more than 20 degrees could have a severe blockage.
• Using light shingles on a new roof can cut the amount of heat the house absorbs. Repainting in a light color, especially south- and west-facing exterior areas, helps as well.
• Upgraded insulation in the attic and double-panned windows all around, complete with tinting to reflect sunlight, are good ideas, too.