The market for tiny houses has never been hotter.
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A recent HomeAdvisor study showed that searches for tiny houses have increased 680% over the past decade, and over 80% of people polled said they’d consider living in one.
If you’re among that 80%, the chances are that you’re interested in living a simpler, more eco-friendly life and might even be interested in going off-grid. Does that sound like you? Or do you already own one?
If so, then this blog is for you. We will discuss the pros and cons of installing solar panels on tiny houses and whether they can help you live that simpler, eco-friendly life you may pine for.
The cost of solar panels has decreased significantly in recent years, becoming more and more accessible to the mainstream public. During the same decade that tiny home searches increased by 680%, solar costs have decreased by almost 90%.
What was once a pricey endeavor is now within reach of many homeowners. If you haven’t considered solar in the last ten years, now is an excellent time to price again.
After applying the 30% Inflation Reduction Act credit and state rebates and incentives, your upfront costs could be lower than expected.
Investing in solar panels for your tiny home is a great way to increase its value and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Solar power provides clean, renewable energy, which can help homeowners save on their electricity bills. Should you eventually decide to move, you will have invested in a cost-saving feature that adds to the appeal for prospective buyers who share your eco-friendly approach.
Are you an eco-friendly consumer who is concerned about reducing your carbon footprint?
Because solar panels rely on sunlight to produce energy, they are a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy source.
Clean
As panels convert sunlight into electricity, they do not produce any harmful byproducts. While some of the sunlight that hits the panels goes unused, the rest is converted into energy used inside your home. Compare this to fossil fuels, which produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere keeping it warmer than it would be without them.
Renewable
Sunlight constantly replenishes itself, making it a renewable energy source.
Sustainable
Solar is sustainable because it is theoretically inexhaustible. So long as we stay in the sun’s orbit, we don’t need to create new sunlight and have a constant supply of it.
Once upfront costs are taken care of, solar customers can expect stable and predictable energy bills. Crystalline panels can provide reliable energy for anywhere from 20 to 40 years.
You can expect a significant decrease in monthly bills with solar panels, and many installers provide applications that allow you to track your efficiency.
If you’re not an off-the-grid type, there are ways to make money off of your panels as well.
Net metering and producing SRECs are two ways to offset your upfront costs by getting paid to supply excess energy back to the grid. Research your state to find out their policies on these instruments.
Panels require minimal physical intervention, meaning maintenance costs are low to negligible. If panels are installed at an angle, debris will usually loosen itself. If not, we recommend sweeping snow/ice and leaves off twice a year is recommended. If you have an app that tracks efficiency and notice reduced performance, check to see if your panels are blocked and clean them off.
Solar panels rarely malfunction or break down, making them one of the most dependable energy sources available today.
Many tiny home dwellers are pursuing an off-the-grid lifestyle. They often seek peace and privacy that they cannot achieve in areas traditionally connected to utilities.
Solar panels offer the self-sufficiency they seek so that they can avoid relying on traditional on-grid electricity sources. Solar panels can power appliances and devices without homeowners having to worry about electricity bills or disruptions in service. Adding a solar battery to the system can add additional peace of mind if the home is in a shady area or is subject to inclement weather.
If you’re a DIYer, kits are available.
It’s not all sunshine and roses for tiny house owners, especially those who are going off-grid.
The company is the world’s best commercial solar systems supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Upfront cost
You’ll want to consider the upfront cost, as solar panels can be a considerable investment. If your reason for going tiny is budget, the price of a solar system may be tough to justify. Many solar owners purchase their systems knowing they will use net metering or purchase SRECs to make money from the excess power they deliver back to the grid. If you are going off-grid, you will not benefit from these programs.
Weather
Many tiny house owners are on other properties or in remote areas. While panels can produce energy using indirect sunlight or on overcast days, they function best when they have consistent direct sunlight. If your panels are obstructed, or you consistently experience overcast days, your panels won’t work as efficiently as areas with consistent sunlight.
Let’s talk!
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly popular option for tiny house owners. They offer a way to reduce your carbon footprint and protect the environment while helping homeowners save on energy costs.
There are some downsides to solar panels that should be considered before making a purchase decision. Our sales team would be happy to discuss these with you and help you decide if solar panels are the right fit for your tiny house.
Solar energy as a new green, clean and sustainable energy source is now becoming more and more popular and the cost of installing solar panels is decreasing every year.
In recent years, the combination of solar panels and small houses has become increasingly popular, and in fact solar panels are indeed the most suitable for powering houses, as they have no environmental limitations, and as long as the sun is shining, they can produce a steady stream of cheap and clean electricity.
Solar panels for small houses have some environmental and economic advantages, but there are also some potential drawbacks. I’m going to take you through the pros and cons of solar panels for tiny houses.
1. Protect the environment. Solar energy is a green energy source. Compared with fossil fuels, solar energy can effectively reduce the carbon footprint and carbon dioxide emissions, which is conducive to protecting the environment.
2. Storing electricity. By installing a solar system, you can store the excess power converted every day through solar battery. Even if something happens to the power grid, you don’t have to worry about it.
3. High applicability. Unlike wind power or hydro power, which require a specific environment to generate electricity, solar power can generate electricity by installing solar panels wherever there is sunlight.
4. Reduce electricity bills. Electricity is always an indispensable and large expense in the monthly bill, which can be effectively reduced by installing solar panels to generate electricity. Normally, a 3kw solar power system can power most small homes, and this system can save about $500 a year. If you install an off-grid solar power system, you can even live completely off-grid, no longer needing the grid to supply energy, realizing power self-sufficiency and getting rid of the grid bill completely.
5. Increase home value. Installing a solar power system will increase the value of your home, if at some point in the future, you need to sell your home. If at some point in the future you need to sell your house, then a house with a solar power system installed will sell better and be worth more.
6. Solar panels are simple and durable. Unlike wind power or hydroelectric power, which requires not only a specific environment, but also the installation of complex equipment, solar panels are easy to install and durable. Solar panels are simple to install and durable. Solar panels rarely fail or break down, making them one of the most reliable sources of energy.
7. Policy subsidies. There are tax incentives available for installing solar systems in some areas, which will reduce your investment costs.
8. Provide a return on investment. Installing a solar energy system requires a significant cost in the beginning. But don’t worry, after installing a solar system, you will get a return on your investment every year in the future. It takes about 4 to 5 years to pay back your money if you don’t install solar cells and about 6 to 7 years if you do. And solar panels can last at least 50 years or more, and once you get through the payback period, you’ll get a return every year after that.
1. Higher initial investment cost. Despite the fact that the price of solar panels has been dropping year after year because of technological advances. But the price of installing a complete solar system is still not expensive.
2. Unstable power supply. Solar panels only generate electricity when there is sunlight, and at night or on cloudy days the amount of electricity generated will be reduced or even not generated. Of course, this problem can be solved by installing enough solar cells, but this will bring higher costs.
3. Adequate roof space is required. Solar panels require sufficient roof space for installation, but small houses may not have enough roof space. In this case, the choice is either to install more efficient solar panels or to install portable solar panels. Either option means a higher cost.
4. Inverter placement issues. The inverter is an important part of the solar power system and its installation requires some space. Small houses have small indoor spaces, just enough for normal living, and there is no space to place the inverter. Also, the inverter emits a low humming sound while working and placing it in the house can be annoying. So the inverter should only be placed in a box outside. In addition to this, please note that the inverter should not be exposed to sunlight for a long time and the box should be placed facing north.
5. Maintenance cost. Solar power systems need regular maintenance to work better, which may bring some repair costs.
6. Safety hazards. Solar panels are mounted on the roof, if they are not mounted securely or the fixing brackets are old and rusty, the solar panels may be blown down when the wind blows.
These are the pros and cons of solar panels to power a tiny house, and on the whole, the combination of solar panels and tiny houses has more pros than cons. If you live in a small house, then installing a solar power system will undoubtedly bring a lot of convenience to your life. I hope my summary can give you some help.