When I moved into my 280-square-foot tiny house in the Vermont mountains, I had a lot to learn about power systems. One year later, I'm writing this article powered entirely by the sun.
Sizing Your Tiny House Inverter
Step 1: Calculate Your Loads
|
Appliance
|
Running Watts
|
Hours/Day
|
Daily Wh
|
|
LED lights (4-6)
|
40W
|
5
|
200
|
|
Mini fridge
|
60W
|
24
|
1,440
|
|
Laptop
|
50W
|
4
|
200
|
|
Microwave
|
1,000W
|
0.25
|
250
|
|
Coffee maker
|
800W
|
0.25
|
200
|
|
Total
|
—
|
—
|
2,500 Wh/day
|
Step 2: Choose Inverter Size
|
Tiny House Type
|
Daily Usage
|
Recommended Inverter
|
|
Minimal (lights + fridge)
|
1-2 kWh
|
1,500-2,000W
|
|
Standard (above + microwave)
|
2-4 kWh
|
2,000-3,000W
|
|
Full-featured (AC, induction cooktop)
|
4-6 kWh
|
3,000-5,000W
|
Key Features for Tiny Homes
-
Pure Sine Wave Output — Non-negotiable for sensitive electronics
-
Surge Capacity — At least 2x for starting motors
-
Efficiency — 95%+ minimum
-
Low-Idle Draw — < 10W when nothing is running
My Setup
|
Component
|
Specification
|
|
Inverter
|
3,000W pure sine wave off-grid
|
|
Solar panels
|
800W (4 × 200W flexible)
|
|
Battery
|
5kWh LiFePO4 (48V)
|
|
Charge controller
|
40A MPPT
|
Total cost: ~$3,800 (DIY installation)
Still not sure if the 3kW model is enough for your cabin's well pump? Shoot our US-based tech team an email with your appliance list, and we’ll help you run the math
