Heat + light + exhaust are all on a single power connection. Those three functions are via a remote control. A substantial squirrel cage blower starts up for the heater, exhaust and ventilate functions while a silent stepper motor moves baffles to steer the air appropriately. If the unit is fed from a light switch, the default behavior is light on full which is convenient so you don't have to touch the remote if you only want light. The remote needs to be chained to the wall or something because the heat and exhaust absolutely require the remote. On heat, the warm air blows down from the narrow grill. The fan speeds, the light intensity and color temp are adjustable from the remote, but the heat seems on or off only.