I had been thinking of using a solar chimney to draw hot summer air up through our house, bringing cooler air in through a vent in the basement; but I had no idea that the Romans were doing this so long ago. [courtesy of Rebecca's Pocket] I think I'll try this in some form or another.
[Update: Just got The Energy Saving House out of the library, and it includes this as an effective house-cooling strategy. The 'Provencal well' should able to lower the interior temperature of a house by 3 to 5 degrees with no mechanical aid.]
