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?

Zoned radiant or convective heating circuits

Passive

Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are broad judgements against comparable building approaches, not measured figures.

Heating split into separate circuits for different rooms or zones, each with its own thermostat or valve. Rooms nobody is using can be left cool while the others are heated. You pay only to heat the spaces you are actually in.

Build it

Cost
Medium
Upkeep
Occasional
Skill to build
Specialist
Lifespan
Radiant/convective distribution piping: 30-50+ years; zone valves/thermostats: 10-15 years, replaceable independently
Embodied carbon
Low
Space / material use
Low
Output timing
On-demand/controllable
Skill to repair
Intermediate

Inputs

none

Outputs

How does this solution compare to others for the same need?

The only option catalogued for this need so far, so there is nothing to compare it against.

Sources

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.