Tiny houses for the homeless are not new, and “Off Grid” living is not new but when you combine them and offer them to the homeless in central NY, now that is something new.
National Grid has teamed up with A Tiny Home for Good to help those who face homelessness in Central New York State, providing them with places to live and thrive that are also affordable and energy efficient.
These ‘tiny homes’ are much smaller than average-sized houses, which means they naturally require less energy, lighting, heating, and cooling, and as a result, their energy bills are significantly lower.
In early 2022, National Grid partnered with A Tiny Home for Good to build four tiny homes powered by solar energy in the Southwest neighborhood of Syracuse, NY. The homes are being built over the course of 12-18 months before they are rented at an affordable rate to individuals in need.
A Tiny Home for Good will build and manage the homes, while National Grid will provide funding for construction. Architect Brad Wales engaged his senior design-build class at the University of Buffalo to design each home, which will be built on neighboring vacant lots on Rich Street.
Why power tiny homes with solar energy?
1. Solar power can provide almost all the energy the homes will need
It’s anticipated that the solar panels installed on the tiny homes will provide all the power for the homes, except for heating. Heating can be provided by electric heaters or heat pumps – another clean alternative. If the solar panels produce more energy than expected, this will help to heat the homes as well.
Even when the sun isn’t shining directly on them, solar panels still function, as they use direct and indirect sunlight to generate power. Because of this, clouds don’t negatively affect solar panels – in fact, rain can actually help solar panels, as it cleans off any dirt or residue.
2. It avoids greenhouse gas emissions
While these tiny homes are actively combating homelessness in Syracuse, they’re also contributing to a greener city. The tiny homes are powered by solar energy, a renewable and infinite energy source that creates no harmful greenhouse gas emissions. As long as the sun continues to shine, energy will be released.
3. Solar power is a cost-effective option
Because tiny homes are significantly smaller than average-sized homes, they require much less energy, so solar power is a cost-efficient option. The solar energy needed to power a tiny home costs one-tenth of the price compared to an average-sized home.1
4. Making the most of available natural resources
The homes have a lot of south-facing light, so solar panels make the most sense compared with options like geothermal energy, which would be more expensive to implement without providing enough benefit.
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Gary Fleisher, Contributing Editor
