A team of Santa Clara University undergraduate students worked together to build a tiny house and compete in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Tiny House Competition. The result is this 238 sq.ft. off-grid tiny house, powered entirely by eight 330 Watt Sunmodule solar panels.
The coastal contemporary themed house features a multi-functional space that transforms from an L-shaped couch to a full-size bed, a full kitchen that incorporates a seating area and fold out table, and a vertical garden wall.
The home also contains a 35 sq.ft. wet bathroom with a dry-flush toilet that eliminates the need for a black water system.
The walls are constructed with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), which make the house stronger and more energy efficient than a traditional stick framed home. The rEvolve House also features an accessible roof deck that provides an expanded seating area for six.
Off-Grid Features: In order to support an off-grid lifestyle, the house is powered entirely by eight 330 Watt Sunmodule solar panels. The house stores its energy using saltwater batteries, the only batteries in the world to be Cradle to Cradle certified. In order to improve the solar efficiency by 30%, the house trailer is connected to a Colossun solar tracking ring allowing the entire house to revolve as the sun moves across the sky.
The 2016 SMUD Tiny Houses:
Images © Santa Clara University