Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Adjustable brise-soleil / shutters (east-west)
Passive
One of 7 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
Movable shades, louvres or shutters on east and west windows. The low morning and evening sun comes in sideways, under any roof overhang, so these are angled or closed to block it and opened again when the sun has moved. They keep rooms from overheating on summer mornings and evenings.
20-30 years for the moving hardware (hinges, tracks, motors if motorised); the shading material itself may need earlier renewal
Embodied carbon
Low
Space / material use
Low
Output timing
On-demand/controllable
Skill to repair
Basic
Regulation (FR example)
Changing the external appearance of an existing building normally requires a prior declaration (declaration prealable) at the mairie; stricter rules and an architect consultation apply within a protected or heritage perimeter.
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Adjustable brise-soleil / shutters (east-west) (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Regular · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to stop the low morning or evening sun on east and west windows.
Fixed horizontal overhangs (south) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want south windows shaded in summer and sunny in winter, with nothing to adjust.
Deciduous vegetation shading Can I use it? Not in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want summer shade and winter sun that cost nothing and grow by themselves.
DIY shade-sail window screen Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the cheapest outside shade for a window, sewn yourself.
Cool (high-reflectance) roof surface Can I use it? Not in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want cooler rooms under a sunny roof, from a coating you can make yourself and wash off before winter.
Attic radiant barrier Can I use it? Not in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want a cooler top floor for the price of a foil under the roof.
Vented roof / attic assembly Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the roof space to shed its heat and its damp, and the timbers to stay dry.
Sources
General exterior shading-hardware industry durability consensus
Limitations of this page
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.