Save Money and the Environment

Posted on: 27 May 2016

Building a tiny home as a permanent full-time residence, rather than an alternative to caravan living, is a large task to take on. Most of the homes are built from the foundation up, and they require different utilities considerations as opposed to traditional homes. If you are looking at the blueprints for your tiny home, and wondering the best ways to keep costs low no matter where you are located, there may be solar options you want to look into. Here are three solar power options that may appeal to you.

Solar Tankless Water Heater

If you have a larger tiny home, that has some plumbing options, you may want to consider a solar tankless water heater for all your hot water needs. There are several benefits to using this type of hot water heating option. One of the main benefits is the small amount of space the solar tankless water heater takes up. It can be placed on the outside or in a hidden panel area on the inside of the tiny home. A second benefit is the reduced energy cost. Instead of having to keep water hot when not in use, you are heating it as you use it and using solar power instead of electric or gas.

Solar Hydroponics

If the plan is to live in your tiny home full-time, then you may also be considering a garden of some type. A popular option is to go with a hydroponics garden tower. These generally use a water pump to push water to the plant roots and keep your garden producing year round. This does mean using some form of power. Instead of worrying about electrical hook-ups just for your smaller items like a hydroponics garden, consider a solar panel that would run the garden pump day, night, and year round.

Solar Power Back-Up

If you plan on using electricity as your main power source for laptops, entertainment, or to keep small appliances going then you may want to consider a solar power back-up. These back-ups are available to offer an alternative to fuel-powered generators in cases of power outages or in areas where you may not be able to get power. For example, if you are living in your tiny home full-time but you travel a lot you may have a night or two where finding a caravan site with electrical hook-ups to be a problem. This is when the use of a solar back-up would be ideal.

These are only three options for using solar power in your tiny home. If you think solar may be an ideal option for a few or several of your lifestyle choices, consider contacting a solar power provider for pricing and installation estimates.