Solar Powered ‘Nests’ For The Homeless

Solar powered shelter - Nest

On any given night in the UK, thousands of people are sleeping rough. The ‘Nest’ is an off-grid, solar powered shelter designed to provide rough sleepers a place to lay their heads in safety and relative comfort.

Within the shelter is a chemical toilet, bed, charging point, heater, heat alarm and lighting.

The nest is totally off-grid, powered by 4 x 140w solar panels on the roof and a Victron AGM solar battery stored securely beneath the bed. Heating is provided via a Dimplex low wattage panel heater and timer (400w).

Measuring 2 metres by 3 metres, the nests are contained within a thickly insulated shell and are cladded in a perforated metal mesh. Metal screening also protects the window and heating vents. Access to the shelter is gained through a metal door with a keypad entry.

Given the nature of its construction, planning permits would not be required and the nest could be easily moved between locations.

“A nest would only be a temporary shelter but could be used by one person for a number of weeks while they work with local delivery partners to access more permanent accommodation.,” according to Charity Nests founder Paul Halliday.

Solar nest floor plan

The final cost of the shelters is estimated to be somewhere within the £2500-£3000 range per unit – around AUD $4,670 – $5,600 at current exchange rates.

That may perhaps be a little optimistic given the energy consumption of the heater and the amount of battery storage that would be required to run even just a couple of hours during the UK’s very chilly nights; but the cost of battery systems should rapidly decrease.

Another potential issue for the nest is the walls appear to be substantially higher than the roof; casting shade on the solar panels. Also, where toilet facilities are included, a hand basin is an important inclusion for hygiene reasons.

Still, the nest a great concept that could help many people through a particularly tough time. A crowdfunder is now operating to raise £10,000 to build a prototype. Charity Nests has a goal of having the shelters on the streets by the end of this year.

Rough sleeping is also significant issue in Australia.

According to StreetSmart, every night across Australia, more than 105,000 people are officially classified as homeless and two out of three people who look for crisis accommodation are turned away due to availability issues.

An ABC FactCheck states that of these homeless, 2,180 women and 4,633 are sleeping rough.

Get a quick solar quote, or contact us today toll free on 1800 EMATTERS or email our friendly team for expert, obligation-free advice!

Other Energy Matters news services: