About two weeks ago, I got a grand idea to give our west-facing windows a little upgrade.  We've always got the blinds closed on the west side because of the strong glare & heat that it radiates into the house.   I went out and bought some Low-E Window Film for about $30 (enough for 4-5 windows that are 3ft wide).  The product advertizes upto 70% less heat gain in summer and 55% heat savings in the winter.  Additionally, it advertizes reduced glare and 99% UV protection - which will prevent color fade for furnature, pictures, artwork, etc, etc.

This link explains more about how Low-E Window Film works.

In our attempts to refrain from using the A/C this summer.  I've taken many steps to keep the house cool, but as the temperature climbs to 80 and above - it's difficult to feel comfortable inside.  Most importantly is being comfortable while we're trying to sleep.  The annoying thing is that my thermometer tells me that while it's 82 degrees in the bedroom, on the other side of our windows, it is a cool 62 degrees.  

This is the ideal time to use a whole house fan.  Most whole house fans are typically mounted to vent from your main level, into the attic (difficult to install).  Yesterday I purchased a window mounted whole house fan.  When it comes in the mail, I'll be installed in the attic bedroom windows (attic is where all the heat rises & it's also the hottest room of the house).  When the outdoor air is more favorable than the inside air, a flip of the switch will start pushing the hot air out of the house, at a rate of ~ 2,400 CFM.  All for the cost of running a 60w light bulb.  Then at the same rate, air will re-enter the house from any opened window.  I'm really excited to install it & I'll write more about how it's benefited our home.

 UPDATE 7/13/2008

 I've had the fan installed for a couple weeks now & It makes a big difference & has allowed us to reduce our dependancy on the Air Conditioner.  For example, Friday night when we got home (late) it was 82 inside and 66 outside.  Within 15 minutes of running the fan, it cooled off by 4 degrees.  And by the time we were ready for bed, it was cooler and more comfortable than any air conditioner.  My favorite thing about this fan is that it creates a cool, contant in-draft through the windows we've opened - while the fan is busy doing it's business in another room.  I checked the wattage of the fan & it draws 90w on high speed.  I only run it on High, because medium and low don't push enough air.  I would consider low, when we move our bedroom up there & we've already exhausted all the hot air.

I'm also happy that I purchased a window mounted fan - instead of attic exhaust fan...  For the primary reason that I can un-mount the fan when the winter comes & I don't have to make any additional considerations around air-seal & insulation.

I highly recommend any whole house fan if you struggle with a hot house in the summer months.  I purchased my fan at Home Depot online.  I was very careful to measure the dimensions of my window openings & find the fan that fits best.  I happened to search a while for the best price & since I found it at Home Depot online, I can also return it easily if anything goes wrong.