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Porch roofs, pergolas, and large overhangs can effectively shade windows and doors facing south, southeast, southwest, or even due east or west for most of the day if the overhang is very deep and sufficiently wide.

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NightCool: A Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept

Reference

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Evaluation of the NightCool Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept: Annual Performance Assessment in Scale Test Buildings Stage Gate 1B

Reference

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

Reference

Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

Passive Solar Design

Reference

Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Careful landscaping can preserve roof-top solar exposure and provide shading to help control solar gain through windows.

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DOE ZERH HIA 2014 Case Study: One Sky Homes, Cottle Zero Net Energy Home, San Jose, CA

Case Study

Case study describing a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home 2014 Housing Innovation Award winner that scored HERS 69 without PV and -1 with PV.