It's N/A here in Maine, but one of the neatest alternative energy concepts I ever heard of is solar powered (photovoltaic) AC.
With a well insulated house, and a heat pump, you could probably get by nicely once the PV gear was paid off.
You just cannot image how hot and humid it can get, and how long (months) it lasts. My startup load for my A/C array is about 16KW. I’d need at least 2 acres of solar panels to come close. Also, it is during the night I really need A/C—I cannot sleep in hot and humid. I am a wimp in that regard.
I got a big generator, a portable A/C unit and a small room with a bed just so I can sleep if we have a hurricane and lose power. I keep at least 50 gallons of gasoline by the barn just for this (rotate it all with my various gas-powered (Tim Allen double-grunt) tools...)