Solar Powered Tiny House in Quebec Has a Winter Heating Bill of Just $100

This tiny house can be found in the driveway of a residential neighborhood in Quebec. It’s been designed and built by Gabriel Parent-Leblanc of Habitations MicroÉvolution.

Given his location, Gabriel’s tiny house had to be able to withstand the harsh Canadian winters and warm humid summers. He could have gone down the route of traditional heating systems, but instead opted a environmentally-friendly choice, powered by solar panels.

According to Habitations MicroÉvolution, in Quebec, heating and hot water typically accounts for more than 70% of their electricity bill. The heating bill alone can run into several hundred dollars per month during winter. However, after installing a solar air heater, Gabriel was able to cut his bill to just $100 for the entirety of winter.

From Gabriel: “I decided to live in a tiny house really to prove a point that it was doable, in Quebec, in northern climates. One of the winters I lived in it was the 2014-2015 [winter]. It was one of the coldest winters we had since 100 years or so. It was really cold. And it only cost me $100 to heat up the whole place all winter.”

The solar heater allowed his tiny house to maintain a comfortable temperature during the day, while at night it was supplemented with a small electric heater. His heating system, combined with the home’s well-insulated shell, helped him live-out the winter months in warmth and confort.

The tiny house house itself has a rustic finish, with wood being the material of choice. It’s used for the floors, walls and ceilings, as well as the various furniture pieces found throughout. A small entrance gives way to the kitchen and workspace, and leads through to a sitting/dining area, found to the rear of the home.

The sitting area takes after RV’s in that it can be converted into a sleeping space. The bathroom, which consists of a composting toilet and a shower, can be found opposite the kitchen. A drop-down ladder provides access to the lofts. One of the lofts serves as a storage space, the other as a bedroom.

In addition to his heating, Gabriel is also able to run his full-size refrigerator, water pump, and small electrical sockets off of his 750-watt rooftop-mounted solar panels.

For more tiny houses check out The NestHouse by Johnathan Avery of Tiny House Scotland. Or, this tiny house from Ireland that features a vernacular interior. See all tiny houses.

Via TreeHugger
Photos: Habitations MicroÉvolution