Cover image via @zeena_fontanilla.
Question: Thoughts on solar power for your tiny house? Why or why not did you install them?
Answers:
Ashlee | girlinatinyhouse.com
Currently, I don’t have any solar panels or batteries for my house. Eventually I would love to establish an off grid set up to give me more options with where I can live and it is obviously much better for the earth, but there are a couple of reasons why I haven’t gone down that path yet.
The first reason being the cost. The quotes I have been provided have been quite pricey and I haven’t been able to justify spending all that money when I’m still unsure how long I’ll be living in my house for. I think if this was a clear 10 or even 5-year plan, then I might feel more comfortable about paying the money. At the moment I just don’t have the extra cash for that long-term benefit.
The other thing I have had to consider has been the weight of my home. As you know, I transport my home myself and have made lots of decisions about my house design based on keeping the weight under 3.5 tons. Batteries are heavy! If I were to carry enough batteries for my home, it would definitely push me to my weight limit. So, while I’m on the move, plugging into mains power or using a generator works for me.
Sam & Tim | tiffanythetinyhome.com
We love this idea. This is where we will likely go after the current project is up and running. It’s been hard to justify the upfront cost of solar panels while renting our space. We pay an average of $30/month in electricity. Now that we’ve purchased land, it will make a lot more financial sense to go solar. We’ve heard some scary numbers, but Florida often runs programs rewarding solar usage and I am hopeful that we will find the right fit at our ideal cost.
Alexis & Brian | instagram.com/living_the_tiny_dream
We didn’t end up putting solar panels on our house, just due to budget constraints. We set our home up in such a way that later down the line if we wanted to install solar, we would be able to convert the power to suit it, however. We would like to make the off-grid switch eventually though!
Nicolette & Michael | nicolettenotes.com
Solar is something that I really wanted to do, especially living in California! I thought it would be an easy addition but for us it didn’t fit into the original budget. We have the house set up where we can easily make the conversion one day. But honestly, we probably won’t unless we have our own land one day. We didn’t want the panels to go on the house but rather next to it which would take a bit more of a permanent set up.
Zeena & Shane | zeenafontanilla.com
Our house is completely off-grid, which means, our water, electricity and waste removal all happens on our rented property. So yes, we have solar power! It’s one of the 3 requirements you need to live in a tiny house on Maui.
I was super nervous about the overnight switch to an off-grid lifestyle, but I’ve learned to love it. I think running out of water and electricity at one point helped the transition early on because that always felt like the scariest part, but it isn’t so bad. Our panels charge our batteries even when it’s cloudy and we can always call for a water delivery. We live frugally but sometimes shit happens.
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+Hi There!
My name is Alan—founder at Dream Big Live Tiny Co! A few years ago, I quit my consulting job to pursue a life full of adventure. After traveling around the world for a year, I sold most of my stuff and moved into an 160-sqft tiny house. Now I spend most of my time showcasing incredible people living with less in pursuit of more freedom, as well as incredible tiny houses around the world!