Depends, inland Florida, Georgia, high humidity locations in general yeah, there's only so much you can do.
Down here in New Mexico and Arizona, on the other hand, you can get really really far with passive design. In a desert shade and a stiff breeze will keep you nicely comfortable even when it hits 40 in the sun. Combined with good insulation and high thermal mass and a house can stay under 25 even in the dead of summer.
Of course in a desert even if you can't swing shade and a breeze you can use swamp coolers instead of ac which are so nice.
Down here in New Mexico and Arizona, on the other hand, you can get really really far with passive design. In a desert shade and a stiff breeze will keep you nicely comfortable even when it hits 40 in the sun. Combined with good insulation and high thermal mass and a house can stay under 25 even in the dead of summer.
Of course in a desert even if you can't swing shade and a breeze you can use swamp coolers instead of ac which are so nice.