Are you ready to ditch your commute and kiss a portion of your power bill goodbye?
Would you like to work from home, but not in your home where distractions are many and free space is limited?
Then this solar home office is the perfect summer project for you. Reduce your impact on the environment and on traffic too.
Like many folks living rural, I have a home based business. I run a small publishing company. With the power of the internet it’s never been easier to work remotely.
A Better Way to Work
Today’s modern office environment is terrible for human health and happiness. Poor air quality and poor lighting. Not to mention the cost. A small office can run between $350-$500 a month. Over time that adds up! My office has saved me $9600 in rent in the last 2 years alone and that isn’t even including the power bill or gas to commute.
I call this project Solar Station. It’s an affordable, portable approach to solar power with the added benefit of extra space. It’s much easier to justify the cost of solar energy if you can derive multiple benefits. And a big plus is the ease of maintenance. Solar panels work best when they are clean, but who wants to climb all the way up on your roof to do it?
I get a lot more done when my work environment is separate from my living environment and the family appreciates it too.
DIY Friendly Design
With a couple trips to the home improvement store and a few online purchases you can replicate this project in a few weekends.
It features:
• 600 watts of 12 volt solar panels
• 450 amp/hr battery bank, 6 batteries in total
• 2000 watt inverter
• Wood paneling and bamboo flooring
Watch the Build Video
Ebook plans with specific measurements, materials list and a wiring instructions are available at SolarStation.com.Photos credit Ben Peterson
Ben Petersonis an award winning renewable energy researcher, designer and author. You can follow his latest projects at www.reinventtheworld.com.
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