I think the only thing that the top floor has going for it is that, regardless of the fact that it's there's a lot of western frontage, the room instelf along that western edge is one long room with two windows; there's no wall to contend with for the airflow and I believe that the breeze alone will help to keep it cool by keeping the hot air moving. But only if that door is open!

Loooking forward to your reply,
Robin

If you've ever been on a roof on a sunny day or in the attic; you'll know it gets awfully hot. Even overcast days it can get pretty unbearable.

Solar panels, or most anything that's not clear for that matter; will help tremendously by simply deflecting or absorbing heat instead of letting it heat your roof up.

I'm a big fan of solar power . . I've got a 2.8 kW sytem installed here . . . but they're an expensive way to keep things cooler. If you wanna do solar ( either PV or heat ) then great; a roof can be a good place to put that stuff; depending upon your climate / snowfall. If you're just trying to keep the place somewhat cooler; blow cellulose in the attic, and put on a metal roof instead of the usual shingles. You'll get more cooling bang for your buck . . . .

Bob