House design · Shape the house: orientation, glass, mass and roof · design-10

Design the service spaces

Off-grid houses need rooms that grid houses do not. Planning them early avoids batteries in a hot garage or a pump room nobody can reach.

How

Battery and inverter room: on the shaded side, ventilated, separated from bedrooms, close to the PV roof and main switchboard. Follow the power and safety modules for clearances, fire separation and ventilation.
Water room or tank area: close to the catchment downpipes, with frost protection in cold climates and space for filters and a pressure pump (water module).
Pantry or cool store: on the pole-facing side, shaded, insulated from the kitchen, with low and high vents if you want passive cooling (living module).
Mudroom: an entry with boot storage, coat hooks, a sink and an airlock door between outside and the heated house, which cuts heat loss and dirt.
Workshop: near vehicle access, with good daylight, a hard floor and separate power circuits.
Group wet rooms (kitchen, bathroom, laundry) around one plumbing wall to shorten pipes and greywater runs (sanitation module).

Safety: Never put lithium or lead-acid batteries in a bedroom or in a hot, unventilated space.