Solar Serenity and the Secrets to Effortless Off-Grid Tiny Living

Calvin Harper

Hey folks, Calvin here. Today, I’ve got Manfred with me—who is the creator of "Offgrid Tiny Consulting" -- a network of experts specialized on solar power for tiny houses. He writes for The Rich Minimalist publication on Substack and is the author of the new book "Solar Serenity: Designing Your Off-Grid Tiny Home."

Calvin Harper

Manfred, can you just give everyone a sense of how you got tangled up in the mad world of minimalism, solar panels, and tiny houses?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Sure, Calvin, happy to! Funny enough, I used to be extremely ambitious, career-oriented and materialistic. About 10 years ago I had a wake-up call and decided for myself that this chasing-the-money-rat-race cannot be it and it does not make me happy. So, I gradually changed and tried to figure out what really makes me happy.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

I noticed it's not the stuff that I can buy for money---that was just weighing me down—physically and mentally. It sounds like a cliché, but there was just this one day, sitting in my apartment in the middle of a stressful big city, that I realized: what brings me actual joy and happiness is time, health, freedom, being outside and having good people around me. Stuff? Not so much. So minimalism, for me, is really about making space for what matters most—time to move, cook, be in nature, and work on tiny projects, literally.

Calvin Harper

And how’d the leap to tiny houses and off-grid living come in? Was that gradual or one of those “epiphany in the shower, sell everything” situations?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Yeah, well, honestly, it was kind of both. I’d been pulling towards smaller spaces for a while—10 years or so—first with van life, exploring Europe, then finally designing and creating my own solar-powered tiny house on the border of Spain and France. The mindset shift is huge: going off-grid isn’t only about ditching a utility bill, you know? It’s saying, “I want autonomy.” You manage your own power, design your own days, and you get to, uh, answer to yourself when it comes to what you truly need.

Calvin Harper

It’s the freedom, but also the responsibility, huh? Kind of like when I try to fit my entire camping gear, and my kayak, into my 200-square-foot cedar cabin. You end up thinking, “Do I need this? What if I just had less and enjoyed more?”

Calvin Harper

But Manfred, let’s talk solar. Why is that so important for you? And why the "Solar Serenity" book?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So,... well, Solar energy is the backbone of autonomy for modern tiny house life. Without your own energy source, you’re always connected to something you don’t control—either the grid or gas bottles or, you know, the neighbor with the extension cord. When you build a system that captures sunlight and stores it for later, you’re not just physically independent, it’s the mentality—choosing the sun, nature’s generosity, over, uh, endless monthly payments. Less reliance, less clutter in the mind, and the real bonus: you walk lighter on the planet.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

But a solar installation is not everything and it's certainly not straightforward to design. You need to factor in buffers, redundancy and backup systems (like generators)---in case you have days of no sunshine. And that's exactly why I wrote this book and created the "Offgrid Tiny Consulting" website. I had to understand and research a lot of things before I was able to design the right solar installation for my house. Then I thought: "well, if this is useful for me, than it's probably also useful for others". So, I wrote it all down in the book.

Calvin Harper

I love that. Basically, condensing the information that is out there--or not--into a book, which is---correct me if I am wrong, freely available for the subscribers of your "The Rich Minimalist" publication on Substack. And whoever needs more advice can purchase a consulting service through your "Offgrid Tiny Consulting" website. A nice win-win...

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Yes, that's correct. My subscribers get the ebook for free.

Calvin Harper

Nice. So, talk me through the high-level process of designing a solar system for a tiny house as you describe it in your book. How does someone actually figure out what they need for a solar setup?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Yeah, so this is the unglamorous but critical stuff, right? Before you even buy a single panel, you gotta do an energy audit. No shortcuts. Take a boring hour and list out every device or appliance you’ll use—lights, fridge, WiFi router… even your phone charger counts. What are the watts? How many hours a day do you use it? Add it up for each one to get your daily watt-hours. That’s your baseline.

Calvin Harper

I can basically hear people tuning out now, but you’re telling us it’s the foundation for everything—like, the less exciting cousin of decluttering your closet, but for electrons.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Exactly. If you’re too optimistic—or just guess—you’ll oversize your system and waste money, or undersize it and sit in the dark. Once you have your sum, add maybe 20 percent as a sunlight “buffer.” Because, you know, even Spain has cloudy days. Then you can use that number to decide how many panels, how big a battery bank, and the size for inverters and charge controllers. Gets a bit technical, but it’s not impossible. I’ve got a free spreadsheet template for this sort of thing, and an explainer video on YouTube how to do it.

Calvin Harper

What about the hardware side? Can you walk through the key components in normal-people terms—and not like a physics professor would?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

For sure! The core ingredients: you’ve got solar panels to catch the sun, a charge controller to make sure your batteries aren’t overfed, batteries for storing energy, and an inverter to turn the stored DC juice into the AC electricity your normal appliances and gadgets expect. Positioning matters—roofs, angles, all that jazz—so even a small house can make the most of the sun if you plan right. And, for the record, monocrystalline panels are great for tight spaces, and lithium batteries last ages and are low maintenance, but lead-acid can be fine if money’s tight.

Calvin Harper

Tell ‘em about your DIY install—didn’t you have a memorable moment with your multimeter?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Haha, yeah, rookie mistake. So, I was halfway through wiring up my Catalonia house, double checking voltages because, you know, you don’t wanna get zapped or blow thousands of euros in batteries. I spent maybe an hour looking for my multimeter—turns out, I’d stashed it in the fridge so it stayed “safe.” Don’t ask. Shows you, sometimes DIY means you’re playing electrician, detective, and, well, clown. But you learn. You figure out where every component is, fix your own issues, and—you, uh, get very good at labeling everything, too.

Calvin Harper

So you recommend people try this hands-on, or are there mistakes folks should avoid if they’re not as, erm, entertained by wiring?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Look, safety first. If you’re not comfortable or it’s your first time around electricity, hire someone experienced for the critical bits. But even a partial DIY install gives you skin in the game and a deeper connection to your home’s heartbeat. That pride—knowing you built it? You can’t buy that. Just don’t keep your tools in your fridge, and remember: double-check everything before flipping the switch.

Calvin Harper

And when something goes wrong—or say, the sun disappears on a stormy week—you’ve set up for resilience, right? Backup generators and real-world redundancy, just in case?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Yep! Like I mentioned earlier, factoring in a backup generator is a must for peace of mind. You can get a small propane or gas model and integrate it so it kicks in automatically when battery levels drop too low—or do it manually like me, if you want. Haven’t actually needed mine much, but it’s there when you do. The whole point is: with planning, you never have to panic. You live your life, enjoy the view, and let the system take care of itself.

Calvin Harper

Beautiful. So, let’s get off the technical rails for a sec—can you share a few real-world stories showing this actually working for folks? I’m talking cabin-in-the-woods comfort and all that good stuff.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Yeah, and I love these stories—reminds me why we do this at all. I have more details about these stories in my book. So here are just some highlights.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

The Porter Cabin in Maine, for example: it’s about as simple as it gets---pure minimalism. This family’s little place runs on just one solar panel and a battery bank—powers lights, a mini fridge, a water pump. They use rainwater catchment, a gas heater, composting toilets. No generator fuel, just silence and self-sufficiency, even with Maine’s tough winters. Sometimes small solutions are all you need.

Calvin Harper

That’s the dream. I’d trade my boiler problems for a single-panel life, honestly. But then, what about places with… like, actual winter? Tell us about Freja---the high-comfort approach!

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Exactly! Freja is a road-legal tiny house in Catalonia, Spain, hosting up to four people—solar power for all needs, plus gas for heating and a rainwater system. Full shower, real washing machine, dry toilets, big closet, removable terrace… It doesn’t feel like you’re missing anything. Good insulation, proper ventilation, and thoughtful design are as important as the solar panels—otherwise, you’re just off-grid, cold, and miserable.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

In my own house called "Berkana Othala--the viking tiny house", for example, waking up with forest, mountains out the window and sun coming in is the definition of freedom and happiness for me.

Calvin Harper

You know, that’s something we circle back to all the time on this podcast—comfort isn’t measured by how many things you stuff in your closet, but by how a place feels and functions. You can have high quality of life with way less than you think. And wasn’t it in one of your previous episodes, Manfred, where you talked about designing for flow, minimizing friction, using outdoors as an extension for living space?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Absolutely. Smart design is everything, especially in a tiny space—maximize light, plan storage early, keep ventilation strong so you never get that “stuffy little box” feeling. And treat the outdoors as another room; tiny inside---titanic outside. With solar and good habits, you hit this sweet spot where less really is more. My best moments are waking up wrapped in those morning mountain views in bed with a fresh black coffee—reminds you to stay grateful and keep things simple.

Calvin Harper

Couldn’t put it better. Folks, if you want real serenity—solar or otherwise—it comes from clarity and intention way more than gadgets or tech. Manfred, thanks for sharing your wisdom and a few fridge mishaps. Any last advice for listeners taking their first steps?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Start with an honest audit—of your energy use, and your values. Dream up your life, then build the house and solar system that fits it, not the other way around. And, above all, embrace a little adventure. That’s where the best learning and memories come from.

Calvin Harper

Perfect note to end on. If today got you curious, be sure to check out The Rich Minimalist Substack for a free Solar Serenity ebook and extra tips on off-grid minimalist living. Thanks for tuning in. Manfred, it was a pleasure!

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Thank you, Calvin. And to everyone listening—go get some sun, treat yourself to the simpler joys, and we’ll see you next time on The Rich Minimalist.

Calvin Harper

Alright, take care folks. See y’all in the next episode!