re: Are there low cost things I can do to keep my home cooler?

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He's correct for dawn and dusk.

However during the hottest part of the day it's south facing. Hence why another poster above mentioned trees on south side of house.

Think about a house on the Arctic circle. At noon the sun would be directly south. At midnight you'd have to face the north pole to see the sun as it's on the other side of the planet.

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It is far more than dawn/dusk. Plus during the mid-day from 10am-2pm, the sun isn't far enough south to cast shade from a tree onto my house. My south side trees only provide shade on the house in early spring and late fall when it isn't needed. West and northwest trees help the most here.