How to Build a Solar Generator on Wheels (Video)

Tiny House Listings/Video screen capture

When I posted on a 16-year-old who built a tiny house on wheels for a mortgage-free future, I noted that he planned to take the house with him when he moves away to college.

One of the key advantages of tiny houses is indeed their portability—someone can invest in a residence that they can then take with them when they need to move. As many tiny house enthusiasts want to live off grid, or at least live with a whole lot less resources, they might consider installing solar panels on the roof.

But what if they need to park their house in the shade? Given that most tiny houses are unlikely to have particularly impressive HVAC systems, separating solar generation from the physical structure of the house seems like a mighty smart move.

Steven of Tiny House Listings has the perfect solution—a small-scale solar generator on wheels. Consisting of two 80 watt solar panels, a marine deep cycle battery, and an inverter, the system is—he says—enough to power a small microwave, TV, laptop, or even some power tools.

Having already reported on how grid-tied solar can create behavior change and energy frugality, I am sure that living with a small-scale system such as this is about much more than just running off of clean energy. It is about creating the very bare minimum of energy that you need, and then matching your demand to the supply you have available. And that's got to be a very good thing.

Here's a closer look at his creation: