Solar Energy and Tiny Houses

There is a new way of living among us, in tiny houses. Tiny homes are generally around 40 to 600 square feet. The concept behind these small homes is that the homeowner can live pretty independently because they have the ability to bring their house with them wherever life takes them. This is primarily why tiny homes are ideal for people that travel; they can pick up and go whenever they please.

Regardless of the reasoning for buying a tiny home, a new idea has emerged to coincide with it: solar energy. If the homeowner is interested in integrating solar, a recent article from SunWise states that solar should be in the initial plans when designing the tiny home.

As far as the roof layout goes, Sunwise states:

“The roof should be designed to have the solar modules mounted to it, so it should be preferably at an angle 35°-45° and reinforced to support the weight and wind load of the solar modules (including when the house is mobile).”

Since most tiny homes aren’t grid-tied, they will require storage batteries to produce energy. Since space is limited there will need to be enough space available for the batteries, preferably near the inverter(s) so that the wiring doesn’t need to go far.

The last thing to consider when thinking about solar energy on a tiny home, is how to pack for when the home will be mobile. Since the entire home including the solar array will be transported, the safety precautions need to be met in order to be sure everything will stay in place. These can be taken into consideration with a local solar installer during the planning process.

To read this SunWise article in full, visit their website.

To chat with us about integrating solar on your future tiny home, contact us today!