News
What off-grid actually costs through a Southland winter
A year of data from a Wānaka cabin shows exactly where the money goes — and why a well-designed off-grid setup performs better than most people expect.
Off-grid tiny homes in Aotearoa.
Solar, batteries, rainwater, composting toilets and greywater — the systems that keep a home running without a connection.
Going off-grid in New Zealand is a systems problem: enough panels for a Southland July, enough tank for a dry Northland February, and a waste system your council will sign off on.
These stories cover what people actually installed, what it cost, and what they would change.
News
Sizing an Off-Grid System: What It Really Takes to Run a Small Home on Sun
A tiny home is small enough that solar can realistically carry it. The trick is sizing the system for June, not for January.
News
The Footprint Argument: Is a Tiny Home Really the Greener Choice?
Building small is one of the most effective environmental decisions available to a homeowner. It's also not automatic — a badly specified tiny home can underperform a well-built house.
News
Catching What Falls: Rainwater Systems for Small Homes
A small roof collects less water than a big one, which makes tank sizing a real calculation rather than a guess. The good news is that small households use remarkably little.
News
Off the grid, on your own terms: the quiet rise of the self-sufficient tiny home
Solar, rainwater and a smaller footprint were once a fringe choice. In 2026, with rural building rules loosening, self-sufficient tiny living is going mainstream — and it makes more sense than ever.
News
Housing the People Who Do the Work: Small Homes on Farms
Getting good staff onto a farm has become a housing problem as much as a wages problem. A growing number of farm owners are solving it with transportable homes.
News
The Bathroom Question: Composting Toilets and Greywater, Plainly Explained
It's the question everyone asks and nobody wants to ask first. Here's how these systems actually work day to day — the good, the honest and the smelly.
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