There have been quite a number of passive cooling systems developed and tested in recent times. These are simple systems that absorb the heat from inside and dissipate it outside once enough has been gathered. Even the most simplest cooling system, such as a trough filled with water or a water tank placed on the roof can work effectively by absorbing heat from inside the house and dispersing it throughout as the water evaporates through the heat of the sun.
Apart from these simple methods, there are also some passive solar cooling systems which are more sophisticated and a bit more complex. These apparati have a solar collector which is covered all day with a shade. Heat would be collected by the storage medium in the daytime and as the sun sets, the medium would then dissipate the heat hitherto gathered. At night, the shade of the solar collector is removed to bring it in direct contact with the cool night air and thus enabling it to dispel the collected heat.
For shading the solar collector, a retractile sunblind can be put up or an extended shade can be hung over. This would by no means be a permanent setup, and the opposite will apply in the winter months (again, the oxymoronic nature of "solar cooling") so this means you would definitely need to set up the shade in such a way that the collector is sufficiently exposed to the sun if need be.
For operating the conventional air conditioners, solar panels can be one fine option. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the most sweltering days of summertime are the most ideal times to generate some electricity by means of photovoltaic cells. With the help of solar panels, you can yield the right amount of electricity and not have to pay for the use of your air conditioner - brilliant indeed!
Then there is the option to utilize solar cooling that does not have any technological foundation. History holds it that the Romans had a fine system of using running water to cool the walls of their houses. It is safe to say that the Romans had conceptualized a setup in which the water would evaporate under the sun, thus cooling down their houses and alleviating the excruciating heat. Like the Romans, you can implement such a cooling system, either on the rooftop or on your walls just like they did back in the day.
Most Northern American households are seeing exorbitant utility bills as a result of excessive cooling and heating requirements in their homes. So with all things considered, solar energy is a green form of energy that serves the three-fold purpose of providing heat in the winter, cooling your surroundings in the summer and clomping off huge chunks from your utility bill! But most of all, this allows us to at least minimize the use of fossil fuel - which, as we all know, has had a deleterious effect to the environment and the ability to live a clean and healthy lifestyle.
