I've studied some of this since I inherited some family land I'd kinda like to put a cabin on. It would probably be off grid if I ever did it. There are a lot of little things to consider.
Double pane glass is a bit over rated. I have an older house and many of them have fogged up. Since aluminum window frames are indestructible, they were banned... and I can't figure out how to get them out of the tracks to take them to a glazier to just replace the panes. There's probably some chinese puzzle trick to them. Fun facts: Multi-pane glass filled with inert gas rarely keeps that gas beyond 3 years, so that's a waste. "Modern" multi-pane glass can start fogging up between 6-10 years depending on their (lack of) quality. If you live in the south and the window directly faces hot sunlight (especially in the afternoon), the metallic coating does help reflect infrared... but during the winter, you kinda want that extra heat.
Anyways, more fun facts that are rarely mentioned: single pane windows are about an R1 to maybe an R2. Double pane glass is around an R2. Triple pane glass is about an R3 and absurdly expensive. As a comparison, cheap 2x4 exterior walls are usually an R15-20. Using glass to insulate your home doesn't work very well. In terms of cost recovery versus the life of the window, you won't ever break even with a triple pane window. A more traditional single pane window with window film on it would likely work better and be far easier to repair. External window film (less common) could also be added and would probably outperform triple pane or even quadruple pane windows for a tiny fraction of the cost. Replacing all my old windows in my house would cost me somewhere between $20-30k, which is absurd. If I did it every 10-15 years like the manufacturers suggest (or more precisely, when the warranty expires and the windows fog), I'd rapidly go broke. Instead of sliding windows, a better window design would be more traditional casement windows. They won't leak because they don't slide, and the sealing gaskets are easy to replace. For those who like the looks of the vertical sliding windows, a casement window frame that looks like that is easy to manufacture.
I've heard of some people using an acrylic (plastic) pane on the inside of a window kinda like an interior storm window. The plastic doesn't transfer heat very well and won't "sweat" during winter. Ultraviolet will eventually fog clear plastic, so they used a simple design where the pane could be easily swapped out (magnetic strips, I think).
With more heat around windows during the summer, double curtains should be used where the outer layer reflects and the inner decorative layer acts like an insulator.
A smaller and higher window in a room can be used for natural lighting while still keeping some privacy.
Home automation could easily control window shades going up and down during various times of the day. That would allow for natural light harvesting and also blocking summertime heat during the late afternoon.
Computer controlled ceiling fans based on temperature and humidity. Have them turn up on the hotter side of the house. I've also considered exhaust fans in each room that would send the hot air back into the AC intake duct much faster.
Motor controlled dampers are often used on AC ducts in commercial buildings. These are easily adapted to houses.
Instead of making storm shutters decorative and useless, have them automatically close during times of hot summer sunlight.
Earthberm houses are an interesting idea that go way back into history. They are much cooler in the summer. The only real problem they have is moisture getting in through the walls. It's like the whole house is a wet basement. With modern technology, this is easy to work around, though. I've had some thoughts about a simpler solution of planting kudzu around the house and letting it take over. It would grow thick enough to somewhat shade the house and act as indirect insulation during the summer. Tall bushes around the house are more conventional but wouldn't shade the upper parts of the house. Tall chain link fences with vines growing through them can provide semi-natural shading. Note that too much shading on the lawn and the grass won't grow.
This Old House recently repoured a concrete foundation where they added foam insulation directly on the dirt and then poured the concrete on top of that. I like that idea. It's relatively cheap and easy to do. This is mainly for northern houses that have harsh winters.
Closed cell spray foam for insulating exterior walls is superior to any other form of insulation. It's excellent for sealing tiny air leaks and it's R-factor is extremely high. It makes a great moisture barrier and also helps with outside sound attenuation.
Exterior walls should at least be 1x6 framed for the extra insulation space.
If using timber framing, the first floor should be pressure treated to help avoid mold and termite damage.
Solar thermal hot water heaters are pretty efficient and cost effective. The water can get scalding hot during noon-day summer.
Lighting tubes are useful for the common areas of the house. Like skylights, they can be damaged during hail storms, though. Both of these really need some kind of automated covers during heavy storms.
For the main doors of the house, a type of mudroom designed like an airlock can help prevent heat/cold being blown straight into the living room during the more extreme months.
The same motion sensors used with security systems can also be used to automatically turn on and off lights and adjust room temperatures.
Some companies are starting of offer heat recovery mechanisms on drain pipes. Think of it as taking heat from the runoff water from a hot shower and preheating the water going to the water heater.
There are vertical wind turbines that are small enough to be put on a house roof. Most of these look decorative so they wouldn't be an eye sore. They're still quite expensive.
Insulated concrete forms are more expensive to build with, but they provide better heat management and automatically include some protection from tornadoes and hurricanes.
In cold climates, floor stones, brick paverss, and concrete are used as hot thermal mass during the winter times. During the summer, this would be covered up or shaded.
As far as humans adapting to warming, genetic engineering is in our future.
