New England doesn't have the sunniest skies, but the limited need for air conditioning in the summer helps keep electricity use down. (arstechnica.com)
There is less overheating as well, and less need for air conditioning when heat gain is controlled by careful shading and control of window size. (treehugger.com)
Solar cells for electricity and solar - thermal arrays for the energy needed for air conditioning. (dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com)