outh and west sides of the house that once overheated unbearably.
Optimally, says Parker, we would have dynamic walls where thermal resistance is adjustable throughout the daily cycle during the cooling season. Though some energy researchers have experimented with creative ideas, such as movable insulation and vacuum insulation, no practical system has as yet been developed.
In the absence of such a breakthrough, people who design and retrofit homes in hot climates will do well to examine the specifics of their situation in light of these studies.
Doug Johnson is a freelance writer based in San Francisco, California.