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?
Ceiling fan
Needs the grid
One of 6 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
What your site needs
Ceiling height enough to hang one safely above head height
Moves air across skin so sweat evaporates faster and a room feels cooler than the thermometer says. It cools people, not rooms, so running one in an empty room only spends power. Draws a fraction of what a cooling machine does.
Build it
This solution is not buildable as a DIY project.
Cost
Low
Upkeep
Occasional
Skill to build
Basic
Lifespan
Long; the motor bearing is the wearing part and is usually replaceable
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Ceiling fan (This page) 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: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want to feel cooler where you sit, for a fraction of a cooling machine’s power.
Night-flush cooling 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: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if your nights are cool and you want to cool the house for free.
Evaporative cooling 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 your summers are dry and you want cheap cooling.
Heat pump (air- or ground-source), reversible mode Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: High · Skill to build: Specialist · Upkeep: Heavy · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you already need a heat pump for winter and want the same machine to cool.
Night-sky radiative cooling Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if your summer nights are usually clear and you want to cool with the night sky.
Whole-house fan Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want night cooling that works even on still nights.
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.