Utilities for Creating Cozy Tiny Homes, Domes, and Treehouses
Scratching your head wondering how to get utilities hooked into your Tiny Home, Dome, Treehouse etc.? We’ve compiled lists of ideas, hacks and how-tos to help you make a reliable plan for your site’s utility needs.
Electricity: There are two routes to go here: Off-grid solar panels and battery or on-grid traditional electric lines. If you already know you’ll need an off-grid solar solution, you’ll need to plan the electricity reliant appliances iinside carefully to ensure you can collect enough energy to run them. You can mount solar panels on your dome, or you might consider putting them on the roof of an outdoor bathroom or carport etc. You should plan for your battery to be covered from the elements.
Electricity hacks: Use solar lights to light outdoor lights where possible. You can even use string lights inside your structure that use a solar panel mounted on the outside.
Light bathrooms with long-lasting LED battery lights. Batteries may need to be replaced or recharged every few months depending on use.
To reduce appliances that require a lot of energy, replace a stove with a single induction cooktop and an instant kettle to boil water. Use a medium fridge (between regular and mini) instead of a larger fridge. Use a projector device with your phone instead of a TV.
Plan where you want to install outlets and make sure the outlets don’t open your space to mice and bugs but rather are sealed completely. You can route utilities through the flooring and cover holes with fine mesh or wire and a little insulation to keep critters out. Hiring a licensed electrician to set up outlets can be a good investment in safety and longevity as well.
Internet: Starlink satellite internet works in many remote locations and is incredibly fast.
Water: Our outdoor bath unit can be fed by just a garden hose.
Bathroom: You will need to decide how to support bathroom needs on your site. If off-grid without septic, you can try a composting toilet, an incinerating toilet or a porta potty to address this need.
For sink and shower, you can add a tankless water heater with a small propane tank to our outdoor bathroom to make hot water available for washing hands and showers.
Check out our outdoor bathroom unit that is easy to modify for whatever toilet system you chose to use.
Wastewater: If you cannot hook into an existing sewer or septic system, you have a few options.
Composte toilet
Incineration toilet
Holding tank and pump out service
Portapotty and pump service
Combination of Hydraloop wastewater recycling and pump out system (that needs servicing far less often)
We recommend that a compost and incineration toilet is not a good experience if you are hosting guests in your space. They can smell and also can be confusing to use for people who are not used to them.
If you have the opportunity to have waste pumped out by a local service company, this can be an effective solution that enables you to have a "more “normal” feeling bathroom without having to build a new septic system. Find out what holding tanks are legal in your area and what service providers recommend.
The Hydraloop system is something allowed in Hawaii and California (maybe more states coming soon) that separates solid waste from liquid and cleans the liquid to a level so that it can be used to water plants and for toilet flush water etc. It is ~$7,000 for a system (content them for more exact pricing) and reduces the volume of waste you need to pump out significantly. We think this is an exciting system for driving efficiency and water reuse.