Off-Grid Power Station
October 19, 2009 · Print This Article
In the previous two posts we discussed a couple of off-grid options. Wind and Solar and how they can generate power for your tiny home.
For both these power sources you need a place to store and distribute the power. In this article I will show you a basic power station set up to run a tiny house on a part time basis.
This unit consists of a box that contains all of your storage requirements. Propane to fuel your stove and hot water heater and batteries and inverter to power your electrical needs.
Here is the basic box under construction. Built with three compartments. The right one holds your propane bottle.
The top left is for your inverter and meters and wiring.
The bottom left holds two batteries for your storage which is generated from either your solar or wind power or both if you are set up that way.
The next photo shows the inverter and the wiring involved with the setup. One cord coming up from the batteries and the second one going into the inverter to convert the electricity to the right output.
In the following photograph you see the meter that lets you know the status of your charge, etc.
The next photo shows the connections to the battery and the wiring going up to the inverter.
Following are the two batteries that power this unit. This power station is set up as a camping unit which is mainly used on weekends so two batteries are sufficient. If you are living in your home full time more batteries may be required to fill your needs.
This photo shows the completed unit with the exterior wiring and switches and adaptors for bringing in the power and also using it externally.
This article is not a how to article but an illustration of a power station set up. You should consult a professional in setting up your home power unit so that it is done the right way and you can sleep peacefully knowing that your power unit is working properly.
Written by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)
Nice set up Kent. It is compact, and has all the main components you need. I was thinking of basically the same thing, but with wood outside to match my tiny trailer house. While I hate to put all the extra weight on the tongue, it is much easier to vent and access that way.
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It’s a good first attempt. The comment on the extra tongue weight is
very astute. Batteries are beastly heavy, and they want to be over an
axle.
That battery box needs redesign. There is not nearly enough vent for
it. If it is in the same airspace as the inverter, then the inverter will
suffer corrosion when the battery outgasses. And the lack of venting
is a problem for hydrogen concentration.
It appears as though you have left the front of the propane box open,
which is a good thing, to prevent the propane bottle from having
delivery problems under heavy use regimes.
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This is a really good illustration. I agree with Dan L, though: the battery box needs more venting. With a propane involved, more venting is always better.
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