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Tiny Solar House: Minnesota Renewable Energy Society


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This tiny solar house was designed and built by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society. I found them on Facebook not long ago and wanted to share their tiny home with you because it has three Silicon Energy PV modules, solar air heat, and even solar hot water.

The SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) came from The Chuba Company who you can also find on Facebook. If you’re not familiar with SIPs, check out this post. A company called Applied Energy Innovations also helped with the construction of this tiny house. It’s 8′ x 16′ and has additional storage in the back to store power with batteries. There’s also extra room there for hot water storage and any other extra systems.

To explore more amazing tiny homes like this, join our Tiny House Newsletter. It’s free and you’ll be glad you did! We even give you free downloadable tiny house plans just for joining!

Tiny Solar House on Wheels: Passive Solar Designed THOW Built with SIPs by Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

This solar tiny house was made possible thanks to Laura Cina, Joel Cina, Chris Burrington, Timothy Pendergast, Larissa Starr Maranell, Andrew Steven Richardson, The Chuba Company and Applied Energy Innovations.

Please enjoy the rest of this tiny home below:

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Below are the SIP panels going up which already come super insulated. What a great way to build a house, right? You just got to have some help!

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Again, the SIP panels going up thanks to the help of three people.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

They used a forklift to get the SIP roof panels on.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Finally, the house wrap to keep the structure moisture tight.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Below you can see that almost all of the siding is done but the roof still needs to be finished.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Nice work everybody!

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

Below is the tiny house all finished and on display.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

I like how it looks better with the trailer and wheels showing.

Tiny Solar House

Photo Credit Minnesota Renewable Energy Society

To learn more about Minnesota Renewable Energy Society visit and Like their Facebook Page.

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To learn more about how SIP panels work, check out this SIP tiny house we featured earlier this year.

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Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter! Thank you!

More Like This: Tiny House Tours | MJ’s Stylish and Cozy Wine Theme Tiny House… My Tiny Wine Wagon | THOW

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Sources:

  1. http://www.facebook.com/aeimn
  2. http://www.facebook.com/MNrenewables

This post contains affiliate links.

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 12 comments… add one }
  • LaMar
    November 30, 2012, 1:14 pm

    It’s about time someone showed their tiny home powered by the sun!

    I have been using a 480 watt solar and 400 watt wind turbine to power my cabin for years and costs for equipment have come way down to about $1 a watt.

    Using energy efficient appliances a 500 watt system will run all your gadgets, lights, water pump and a small fridge.

    I would have recommended one of the vacuum tube solar water heaters instead of the panel heater it looks like they are using.

    I would also suggest an addition solarium porch and solar air heaters for passive solar heating.

    With the right setup you can easily and afford-ably have a net zero off-grid tiny home.

    SIPS make sense for small structures and you can build your own using foamcore board covered by wafer board and 2×4 brace on the side/ends.

    SIPS reduce overall weight in walls and bridging transfer of heat and cold so improves efficiency.

    SIPS cost a little more to build but make up for it in savings on heating/cooling and quicker construction time.

    LaMar

    LaMar

  • Pat
    November 30, 2012, 3:55 pm

    Cool building method but don’t like OSB. Pat

  • Rachel
    November 30, 2012, 4:51 pm

    If your interested in touring the Tiny Solar House visit http://www.ElkRiverMN.gov/EnergyCity and request a tour! The house will be in Elk River, MN for the winter and the City would love you show you around!

  • Glema
    November 30, 2012, 6:34 pm

    Very nice thank you for sharing!

  • Barbara Landers
    November 30, 2012, 9:00 pm

    I would like to see the INSIDE of this tiny solar house…or is it empty? Thnx!

    • Carol
      December 1, 2012, 3:46 pm

      Yes, I would like to see what kind of living arrangements are on the interior too. As it is, it is just a cool looking solar box.

    • Evening Iris
      December 4, 2017, 12:17 am

      Me three. I was very disappointed that there weren’t any interior pictures.

  • Tiny Houses Hankerings
    December 28, 2012, 9:24 pm

    this is near me! I haven’t even heard of it until now. I’d like to see the inside as well. I wonder if it’s even done yet.

    They also said one of their goals was to have someone live in it and blog about it but I don’t know if they are doing that yet. That would be very cool.

  • will
    January 19, 2013, 8:31 pm

    There is also an aluminium clad s.I.p. that we use here in Florida.That panel is lighter and can be connected as strong as the osb and it’s more resistant to the elements.

  • DJ Spell
    January 29, 2013, 9:33 pm

    Thanks for the share. This is quite an intriguing design.

  • chuck
    September 18, 2016, 8:46 am

    can they build 1 for me if I order one? building something isn’t my area of expertise

  • Max S
    December 3, 2017, 7:40 pm

    SIPS are a demonstrably unsustainable and toxic building system. A chemical soup to breathe in and that burns fast and deadly. Solar PV is only considered netzero if you take out the fact that pv panel production produces one of the deadliest compounds known to man.
    You are far wiser to buy an old airstream and do a proper eco renovation.

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