Tiny houses have been growing in popularity since 2014. A tiny house is usually between 100 and 400 square feet. People are making the switch to “tiny living” for the reduced environmental impact, and the freedom that comes with a small house to maintain.  Tiny houses are more energy efficient, and much easier to heat or cool than average sized homes. They are also more portable, therefore tiny homeowners can really live anywhere there is land available. Adding solar to any tiny home will help further reduce the environmental impact and increase the possibilities of places you can live. 

 

Solar Electric For Tiny Homes

 

It’s no secret that larger houses use more energy. The average American home uses 914 kWH of electricity per month. Tiny homes use about 120 kWH of electricity per month. This drastic difference is one of the many reasons people are making the switch to tiny living. Not only do tiny homes not use a lot of electricity, they also are very easy to heat and cool. This makes the move to a tiny home a great decision for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint. By adding solar to your tiny home, you can further reduce your impact. Solar is a viable option for any home with access to sunlight. However, tiny homes require significantly less energy making them an even better candidate for solar. A system for a tiny house is far smaller than an average home so they take up less space. Panels can be ground mounted, or roof mounted (if there is enough roof space with sunlight). 

 

Smart Heating & Cooling for Tiny Homes

 

Another way you can further reduce the environmental impact of your tiny home is by using heat pumps for heating and cooling. Heat pumps consist of an outdoor unit pulling air from outside the home, conditioning the air using a heat transfer liquid, and then pumping the heated or cooled air back into your home with an indoor unit. These are 100% powered by electricity so you no longer have to rely on finite resources to heat or cool your home. Heat pump systems are perfect for a tiny home because they do not take up a lot of space. They can also be powered by solar, making it easy to go off the grid and are environmentally friendly.

 

Get Off the Grid with Solar 

 

Solar energy systems with batteries for storage make going off the grid simple for tiny homeowners.  Tiny homes are so portable that the possibilities are limitless with a solar system. Battery technology is constantly improving, and they are a viable way to store energy as a backup source. As mentioned above, solar can be used for electricity and heating/cooling your home. Solar can also be used to heat your water as well. Solar hot water systems are the perfect solution to heating water. Solar hot water systems use solar panels to covert the sun’s energy into thermal energy. This thermal energy is used to heat water that is stored in a tank until it is ready to be used.  The water could be used for appliances in your home, or for base board hot water heating. Solar energy is a great solution for any homeowner looking to get off the grid. 

Solar energy is a wise decision for any home owner, but the benefits for tiny homes are astronomical. Tiny home owners are saving money on home maintenance and helping the environment. Tiny homes also give owners a tremendous amount of freedom, due to their easy self-sustainability. If you are a tiny homeowner looking to get off the grid, or just to do your part in helping the environment fill out this form. One of our solar experts will contact you about your solar needs. Not a tiny home owner, but still thinking about switching to solar? Fill out this form to get start today![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]