This Solar-Powered Tiny House Lets You Live Entirely Off the Grid

Innovative Construction by Jeff Hobbs

This fantastic off grid super high spec tiny house was constructed by boat builder and cabinet maker Jeff Hobbs. Jeff really took his small house design to the next level and packed it full of great features and sustainable technologies. The tiny house on wheels is fully equipped with solar power that's generated by two 300 watt solar panels and a solar collector. It's also ready to be plugged in if need be through an RV electrical hook up. There is enough power to run a washer and dryer so that the homeowner can do laundry right in the comfort of her own home. The house was built for a woman that he consulted with for about six months before they nailed down the tiny house design he would make for her.

The Lengthy Design and Building Process

When people are designing or building a tiny house, they don't realize that the process can be a long one. Sometimes much longer than some people think. Jeff had been working on this project for around 18 months at the time this video was filmed. He decided to build the tiny house out of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) that are 62 millimetres thick with polyurethane foam at the core. It's essential for homes to be adequately insulated if they're going to be sustainable so that they're not leaking out the heating or cooling that's being created within them and eating up energy.

Lightweight Yet Durable Design

The tiny house on wheels is very light, but it's also solid which is a must for tiny home building since they'll be towed on trailers that can't exceed 10,000 pounds most often. It measures 22 feet long by 8 feet wide, and about 11 meters high. The high ceilings and the skylights really work to open up the space and make it feel airier. He created a beautiful sofa with storage inside it that also folds out to be a double bed. He also included a desk area that's attached to the sofa, which would be perfect for working from home.

Efficient Heating and Water Solutions

The little wood burning fireplace is the perfect source of heat for the home, and it fits so nicely into the tiny house design. Heat sources for small house living vary from home to home, but many people love a wood burning fire, others prefer the cleanliness of a propane furnace that can be hung on a wall and out of the way. For water, the homeowner will collect water in a tank, which is a great option for places that experience enough rainfall. For other places, an underground cistern would work great or having a well created, but that can cost a lot of money.

Functional Bathroom Features

In the bathroom, he added in a really nice, efficient shower as well as a composting toilet. The composting toilet is the toilet of choice for small house living. The high tech ones like the one in this tiny house, are able to separate the two different types of waste so that the toilet doesn't end up smelling bad. Using peat moss is another way to avoiding a smelly composting toilet as well.

Smart Storage Solutions

Another must in any tiny house design is storage, which Jeff incorporated plenty of in this home. When everything has a place, the whole space feels so much cleaner, which can help it feel more spacious. You can have a full tour of the tiny house on wheels and see all of the design features that make it so remarkable. There's also an updated video tour of the house so you can see what it's like now that the owner has moved into it and has been living in it.