What is a Solar-Powered Tiny House
Without being at the grid’s mercy, a solar-powered tiny house is self-sufficient with its energy needs. The solar panels harness unlimited amounts of clean and renewable solar energy, which is then converted to electricity stored by the batteries for powering your appliances. As your energy requirements increase, you can add more batteries for even more storage.
The Types of a Solar-Powered Tiny House
Every house has unique energy requirements. So, the upcoming section will help you realize whether you should go for an off-grid or grid-tied solar setup.
Off-Grid Solar-Powered Tiny House
An off-grid solar system gives you independence from the grid, utility bills, power outages, and toxic exhaust gasses. Your tiny house becomes a ‘hybrid solar system,’ which is self-reliant, generating solar electricity during the day and storing it in solar batteries for usage during nighttime, when no solar energy is produced.
But, complete independence from the grid means you’ll need a reliable, innovative, and beefy solar system.
Grid-Tied Solar-Powered Tiny House
The only difference between off-grid and grid-tied solar systems is a solar battery. Your house will be connected to the grid, drawing electricity from the main powerline when your solar panels do not produce enough.
However, you will be at the mercy of power outages.
How Much Solar Energy is Needed for a Tiny House
A watt is a measure of power required by your appliances. A watt-hour is the energy required by an appliance to power it for one hour. Usually, a tiny house requires 4kW of energy a day, so you should go for a solar system that provides you enough energy and then some more, to be on the safe side.
You can calculate your tiny house’s energy requirements by individually identifying each appliance’s wattage per hour, and adding them up. Just like we’ve simply done here:
|
Appliance |
Wattage |
Wattage-Hour |
|
LED lights |
6W |
24Wh |
|
Conventional lights |
60W |
240Wh |
|
Fridge |
83W |
1,000Wh |
|
Internet Router |
6W |
72Wh |
|
Air conditioner |
1,500W |
8,000Wh |
|
Washing machine |
1,200W |
1,200Wh (per 1 hour wash) |
For accuracy, we recommend you to carefully identify and add the power requirements for all your appliances. There are no shortcuts here.
The Number of Solar Panels You’ll Need
Various factors come into play when determining how many solar panels you’ll need for your tiny house. Typically, an efficient solar panel produces about 350 watts a day— with 8 hours of sunlight. So, you’ll be needing around 12 350-watt solar panels for a tiny house.
The following factors influence the number of solar panels you will require:
Pros of Solar Power for Tiny House
We already know why solar panels and tiny houses make a perfect combination. But, a solar system can also act as an asset, since it saves you tons of money in the long-run. Let's dive deep into the manifold advantages on offer.
Making Off-Grid Living Possible
If you’re a tiny house owner, chances are you’ll be determined to be as self-reliant as possible. With off-grid living, you will no longer be susceptible to major power outages, such as the California Wildfires and Texas winter blackout. While everyone is plunged into darkness, your normal life will continue, making you one step ahead from the pack. Moreover, you’ll be significantly reducing your carbon footprint by not consuming the grid’s dirty energy.
Solar energy is perfect for mobile homeowners, campers, and RV dwellers, as they carry their own ‘hybrid solar system’ with them, free to produce their own electricity and store it whenever and wherever. BLUETTI’s AC200 Max, in particular, is ideal for RV owners with its 16 power outlets that power 99% of appliances, and specially designed built-in 30A NEMA TT-30 and 12V 30A DC outlets, easily fulfilling all their on-road energy requirements.
Cost-Effectiveness and Great ROI
While owners of tiny houses have tiny electricity bills, they can still eliminate all of their utility bills in just a few months. On average, homeowners in the US save $250 to $750 annually after going solar.
Several states strongly incentivise and subsidize solar energy, offering tax rebates and credits to every customer. The US government gives a 26% tax credit on solar installations. Disclaimer: this tax credit will be abolished by 2024, unless congress takes action. So, this is a now-or-never situation.
Unlimited Access to Clean, Green, and Renewable Energy
Solar energy is clean and unlimited, unlike costly fossil fuels that produce toxic gasses, forcing you to keep conventional generators outdoors. But, your solar setup can be conveniently placed inside your home. And, you will no longer have to pump gas or diesel for energy, given their ever-increasing costs.
Incredibly Practical
A solar system is far more practical than conventional choices. For starters, you can charge them in multiple ways. You can charge your AC200 Max in just 2 hours with a stunning 1400W total charging rate— with 900W of solar input and 500W from the adaptor.
Adding to the glory, each AC200 battery module comes with 2 extra input modes for adaptors, meaning you will get 500W for every module added. You can charge your AC200 Max with 7 charging options:
- AC charging (Max. 5,000 W)
- Solar charging (Max. 3,000 W)
- Generator (Max. 5,000 W)
- Lead-acid charging (12V/24V)
- Multi-charging, AC+Solar (Max. 8,000 W)
- And, you can even charge it with your car’s cigarette lighter
This is not where the practicality ends. With solar systems, you get immense innovation. The latest LiFePO4 battery, boasted by AC200 Max, offers 3,500 life cycles before dropping to 80% battery capacity. And, the BLUETTI app allows you to monitor and control your solar system with your fingertips.
Customizable As Per Your Requirements
It’s all about scalability. The best solar systems are entirely customizable, allowing your energy needs to be satisfied every step of the way. For instance, AC200 Max comes with two extension ports that support 2 BLUETTI B230s (2,048Wh each) or B300s (3,072Wh each). With such incredible modularity, you can increase the capacity to a whopping 8,192Wh.
Cons of Solar Power for Tiny Houses
It’s not all rainbows in the solar world. There are a few downsides; although, they can be easily overcome.
High Upfront Costs
The initial investment is hefty, being in the thousands. But, that is before any rebate is applied. If you get past the initial investment, things get easier due to a 30% federal solar tax credit. Besides, solar installation is now easier than ever, as every solar company offers many financing options, including:
- Cash payment
- Loans
- Leases
- Power Purchase Agreements
AC200 has a slashed $2,946 price tag, which is quite viable if you consider the competition’s prices.
Limited Space
Since we’re dealing with tiny houses, space can be a problem. So, you are advised to be as efficient, with a limited amount of space, as possible. If ground installation is not an option for you, try to optimize your energy requirements.
If you’ve already downsized your energy consumption, but still cannot reach optimal energy generation, go for high-efficiency solar panels.
Final Thoughts
Besides the few, and easily surmountable limitations, installing a solar system in your tiny house is the need of the hour due to frequent blackouts, rising utility costs, and a truckload of cost-savings.
Most importantly: you will play your part in making the planet greener.
