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?
One of 3 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
Ground area available for a buried pipe trench/loop at roughly 1.5m depth; workable (non-rocky) soil
A closed loop of water pipe buried about 1.5 metres down, where the ground stays around 12 to 15 °C, pumped through an old car radiator with a fan indoors. The cool water takes heat out of the room. It cools an existing house on very little electricity, by its builder’s own account.
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Ground-coupled hydronic cooling loop (buried pipe + radiator) (This page) Can I use it? Not 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 you want to cool an existing house on very little electricity.
Earth tube / ground-coupled air pre-conditioning Can I use it? Not 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: Yes Choose it if you want fresh air warmed in winter and cooled in summer before it comes in.
Earth-sheltered / semi-buried form (thermal stability) Can I use it? Not in a flat · New build only What does it cost me? Upfront cost: High · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you are building new and want indoor temperatures that stay even all year.
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.