A woman seated at a small table inside a tiny house or small ADU, using a portable solar power station to power with a heater, a split mini A/C, and a computer..

Tiny House/ADU

Tiny houses and ADUs often have full household needs packed into a small footprint. The challenge is running standard appliances—refrigerator, microwave, lighting, entertainment—without the electrical infrastructure of a full-sized home. Some tiny houses are grid-connected and need backup power for outages. Others are fully off-grid and need a complete power system.

Space matters in tiny builds. A power station takes up less room than a traditional battery bank, inverter, and charge controller installed separately, and it's plug-and-play rather than requiring electrical work. For grid-connected tiny houses, a power station provides outage backup. For off-grid builds, it can serve as the primary power system.

Practical note: A typical tiny house uses 3 to 5 kWh per day with efficient appliances: mini-split heat pump, mini fridge, LED lighting, laptop, and entertainment. A standard residential refrigerator alone can use 1 to 2 kWh per day. Choosing efficient 12V appliances or the EcoFlow GLACIER portable fridge can cut refrigeration power use significantly.

Many off-grid homeowners also combine solar + efficient appliances with propane or wood backup for peak heating. This keeps solar focused on lights, refrigeration, electronics, and everyday use, while heavy loads are handled by other sources when needed.

Tip: If you’re planning a tiny house or ADU, consider pairing a high-efficiency mini-split with your solar generator setup for year-round comfort that maximizes every watt.