A tiny home builder in Arizona and a tiny home builder in Washington State are two of the first two homeowners to install their off-grid renewable systems and begin living completely off their solar and wind power systems — all in their custom built tiny homes on wheels. How did they do it? Through careful planning, consulting with experts, taking the necessary time, and not giving up even when it got tough, they have made living off renewables in tiny houses on wheels a reality. Now that they’ve done it, they want to share their knowledge with others who might be interested in doing the same thing.
Why build a tiny home?
People often turn to tiny homes because they're affordable, eco-friendly, and can offer you the lifestyle you want. But what many don't realize is that there are other benefits, too. For example: living off renewables in a tiny house on wheels might be possible!
Tiny home builders have been finding ways to live off renewable energy sources for years now. This is partly due to the fact that these homes are usually much smaller than standard houses and so require less energy to maintain a comfortable temperature. And more recently, some companies have started taking advantage of rooftop solar panels as well - which means that some tiny homes might produce more energy than they consume!
This is an exciting time for people who want to live off renewables in a tiny house on wheels!
Mobile solar systems
The solar panels are fitted with a battery bank, inverter, and charge controller. The battery bank stores energy collected by the solar panels during the day and then provides power to the house at night. This setup is called an off-grid system because it's not connected to the grid. As long as there is sun and a good breeze, they have all they need.
Creating off-grid systems
The first step in creating an off-grid system is choosing the type of renewable energy that will power it. This could be solar, wind, geothermal, or hydro power. Different systems will suit different needs and budgets. When deciding which system to use for your off-grid home you should consider if there's enough space to place the necessary equipment (solar panels, wind turbine) and where you're going to put it.
Staying warm and cooling down
One of the things that people often don't think about when living off the grid is how to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. One of my favorite solutions for staying warm is a kerosene heater, but these can be dangerous if not used correctly. They also release particulates into the air which are bad for your health, so they are not recommended. I recommend using a wood stove that vents through a chimney to solve this problem.
Water, water everywhere (but how do you get it?)
Water is one of the few things that we need to live and it's often one of the first things people think about when thinking about living off renewables. In a tiny house, you don't have room for a well or any other external water source (like a pond). So what are your options? If your tiny house is on wheels, you can bring water with you in 55 gallon drums or rain barrels. If it's not on wheels, you'll have to find an available water source nearby.
Managing your power usage
One of the easiest ways to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels is to cut back on your power usage. One way you can do this without sacrificing comfort is by installing high-efficiency heating and cooling systems in your tiny home. What's more, according to the US Department of Energy, A 1% increase in efficiency typically saves about 2% in energy costs.
Building your own electrical system
In order to install a grid-tied, solar electrical system in their tiny house, they had to hire an electrician. They had the electrician install a main breaker panel with two breakers, one for the living space and one for the bedroom. The electrician also installed a sub-panel with four breakers that feeds power to all of the equipment needed for the solar system.
Making your tiny home safe and smart
One of the first things to think about when designing your tiny house is how to make it as safe and secure as possible. Once you decide on a design, you should work with an electrician and a plumber to install all of the necessary electrical wiring and plumbing lines.
You'll also want to consider adding natural gas or propane appliances, which are less expensive than electrical appliances and can be used during power outages.
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