my life without AC

I was piddling out in the bay for a minute (currently having to do more laying down than sitting.) And I came across my Air Conditioning.

I guess I can call it what I did in the Title because for the last 2 years my AC has lived in its box in the bay vs in the window.

Last year there were 6 days it would of been nice to have it, (i went to the creek, or made a grocery run) and this year I think there were 2.

Let me describe my "house."

My house was not originally intended to be a house, it was to be a shop and Airstream storage with a single bathroom and bedroom and I was going to build my house acres away. (Still am, but declining health and resulting lack of income has delayed it)

So it's a 40x40 16' tall metal building.
There's a 11' overhang on the east side (walls run in cardinal directions) and the "2 story apartment" is along the west wall.
the upstairs is a living room flanked by 2 guest bedrooms, and the downstairs is my "studio apartment" consisting of a 12x10 bathroom and a ~28x12 bedroom.
The upstairs is standard R19, but the downstairs is (walls and cealing) R30.

This pays off as it has yet to hit 80 degrees inside, even when it nears 100.

I have blackout curtains on the windows (makes a HUGE difference.)

And there is an 'air gap' between the exterior walls on the east and the roof. (I believe this to be even more important than the insulation)

My solar panels are just leaned against my southern wall, then I finally get them up they will provide the function of an awning, further decreasing the sun heating things up.

If I were going to live here longer than needed to hit financial goals I'd put a awning/porch on the west side which i can tell would have a DRAMATIC impact. But as is it does not begin to warm up till after 5. (I'll often eat dinner on the porch or the bay waiting for it to cool off.)

The negative is in the evenings it can be warmer (75-78 or so) But by opening the windows and turning on the cealing fan it pulls in the cool evening air. (I got some screens for 1 of the 2 doors into the bay, and once I screen off the double french doors circulation will be most improved.) It's just been so mild thus summer I didn't bother.

Oh, my bed/bathroom have 8' cealings.... makes a huge difference.

The bay has opposing 12x12 garage doors in the middle of the north and south walls.
When I'm home all day like today I raise the north all the way and the South to about 6'5" for a delightful wind tunnel effect.

It's not perfect, but I rarely want AC, and (as you can tell) not enough to bother picking up the box and inserting it in the window.

Although the ICF hours in the future will be better, being intended for residency from the start rather than an adapted structure.

I thought this might help someone in their planning.

Eta: I forgot to mention, much in the way people live in Mexico I open the windows in the evening and close them between 0630 and 0730. This keeps it cool all day. (It's currently 87 outside and 73 inside.)

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my life without AC