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?
Solar-powered foot stove (heat cube)
Passive
One of 5 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
Somewhere the panel gets winter sun, which is the hard part in the season the stove is wanted. A balcony or a south window may be enough at 100 W
A heavy block warmed by a small solar panel during the day, that you rest your feet on with a blanket over your lap. The block stores the day’s heat and keeps giving it off for hours after sunset. It warms a person in the evening from sunshine, with no fire and no fumes.
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Solar-powered foot stove (heat cube) (This page) 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: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want evening warmth from the day’s sun, with no fire.
Hot water bottle Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the cheapest warmth there is, for one person, indoors or out.
Electrically heated table (kotatsu) 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: No Choose it if you want to keep everyone warm around one table while the room stays cool.
Box-bed with thermal curtain Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Way of living · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to sleep warm, in the dark and quiet, in an unheated bedroom.
Insulating furniture (hooded chair, folding 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: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to stay warm where you sit, sheltered from cold walls and draughts.
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.