Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

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Steven Lake
Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
in Energy Use & Conservation #1
http://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/solar-hot-water-tiny-house/

Thought this might be an interesting one for you guys to see. They took a tiny house and did solar hot water for it, likely in a similar way to what you guys might do. :)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #2
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    Re: Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

    Make sure to bolt that house down well and some sort of security--At least the home was recovered:

    http://www.myfoxny.com/story/27760342/thieves-steal-house
    A San Antonio, Texas couple had build a 'tiny house' to commit themselves to 'green living' but the entire home ended up being stolen.
    Casey Friday says, "It was depressing, devastating, made me angry and shocked all at the same time."
    An advocate for so-called green living, Friday and his wife had invested 2 1/2 years and $35,000 into building a tiny home from the ground up.
    ...

    After a local TV station reported on the theft, the house was reported being found on the south side of town. Neighbors had apparently seen it for days but did not know it was stolen.

    ...Though they have the house back, they don't know if they want to live in it anymore after signing a lease for an apartment.

    Friday says he may sell it to someone who wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise.

    ...

    As for how the house was stolen, it was on a trailer that the thief simply attached to a truck and drove off with.

    On his blog, Friday wrote: "I'll be completely honest – I didn't even know that a hitch lock was a 'thing' before our house was stolen. I only researched them after the house was gone. I am now WELL aware of multiple forms of security that I hope ALL tiny housers will implement on their own Tiny House builds."

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Organic Farmer
    Organic Farmer Solar Expert Posts: 128 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

    If you want a 'house' mounted on a trailer, there are manufacturers who will custom make them for you.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

    i saw an article some weeks back that showed somebody stole the whole minihouse that was ground mounted.
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

    Pfft, it doesn't matter what it is anymore. If someone wants it bad enough they'll even steal stuff bolted into concrete. Even so there are simple ways to stop them from doing that. The funny thing is, the uglier something is, the less likely it is to be stolen, which clearly shows we're a nation of cleptos. lol
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  • Skippy
    Skippy Solar Expert Posts: 310 ✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Solar Hot Water For A Tiny House

    Wow, I have a couple of guys here who want too build tiny houses - they think there the best thing since sliced bread . . . going to show em that article - thanks.

    Be a real bummer . . . go to work one morning . . come back at night and it's ALL gone . . . try to explain that one . . . " but officer - my HOUSE was right here . . " :cry::D
    2 - 255W + 4 - 285W PV - Tristar 60 amp MPPT CC / 3 - 110W PV -wired for 36V- 24V Sunsaver MPPT CC / midnite bat. monitor.
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    3 ton GSHP.- 100 gallon warm water storage / house heat - radiant floor / rad
    9 -220W PV - net meter - Enphase inverters and internet reporting system.
    420 Gallon rain water system for laundry.***  6" Rocket Mass Heater with 10' bed for workshop heat.
    Current project is drawing up plans for a below grade Hobbit / underground home.
    Google "undergroundandlovinit" no spaces.
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #7
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    Well, one thing I'm considering is making it so that once the house is parked I set the wheels such that you can't move it short of getting a freaking crane and loading it on a flat bed semi. I mean, if you want it that bad, by all means have it. Especially what it'll cost you to move it. haha.
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  • backroad
    backroad Solar Expert Posts: 185 ✭✭
    #8
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    Good grief. With all our technology, they make some awesome hitch locks. Take the tires off the house and chain them all tightly togeter underneath or just run a bunch of heavy chain through the wheels that are still bolted to the axles. Or do what I did. Marry a reheaded Irish Indian that also shoots well.
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  • sub3marathonman
    sub3marathonman Solar Expert Posts: 300 ✭✭✭
    #9
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    There was a story here in Tampa awhile back about a guy converting shipping containers into homes.

    http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/25303552/shipping-containers-converted-to-affordable-homes
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #10
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    Yeah, the shipping containers are a pretty cool way to have a house. $2k-$4k for the container, install the extras, move in. I think one lady built an entire house for $5k, spending $2k on the container and $3k on interior elements, found a place to park it, and off she went.
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  • BisM
    BisM Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭
    #11
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    Steven Lake wrote: »
    http://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/solar-hot-water-tiny-house/

    Thought this might be an interesting one for you guys to see. They took a tiny house and did solar hot water for it, likely in a similar way to what you guys might do. :)


    Thanks for the link, I'm looking at building a smaller off-grid shipping container home and was thinking about a similar setup my self!
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #12
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    I'm looking at doing a tiny house myself at some point. I just haven't decided which way I plan to go. Although, given all I've learned about solar in the process of converting over the family farm (I don't own it. I'm just the "unhired" labor. lol.) to use solar wherever possible or practical, I expect to have one heck of a system when I finally get around to doing my tiny home. I just need to figure out what footprint I want to go with. Haven't decided yet.
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