To be frank, I’m not sure if replacing the single pane with double pane is: A - something I can afford at the moment and B - something I can DIY (which adds to point A).
I have a feeling that the windows are a large part of my electricity usage (due to AC constantly running), I have them “foiled” and really tempted just to board them up. Before I go to that extreme, I was thinking maybe there’s something I can attach to the outside that would essentially add that 2nd pane, or at least block some sun from hitting the glass.
suggestions?
FWIW, I’ve heard that if you let vines grow directly on the exterior (or if you run cables and plant the kind of vines that need to climb cable), the vegetation will insulate/shade the house from the extreme sun.
I can’t say it’s 1st-hand knowledge but perhaps worth looking into. Evaporatie cooling might have a small role in that too. Of course the caveat is if you let vines grow directly on the stucco, they will destroy the stucco which many folks consider a bad trade-off. The other caveat is plantlife brings insects so you might not want to bring insects right up to your walls.
The wife hates the wasps, so might have to skip this one :p