Green Prefab Homes and Your Carbon Footprint

The term prefab refers to the fact that the entire home is built in a warehouse. The pieces, once complete, are moved to the home site and erected. The utilities are connected to the home and it is ready to live in.

When custom homes became more popular, the old trend of prefabrication took some time off, but the eco conscience consumer is taking a fresh look at this classic home building technique.

Building a Green Home

The idea of a green home is to reduce the carbon footprint home building has on the local environment and the earth.

When a home is custom built, a huge section of land must be cleared to hold the materials needed for the build, in addition to the equipment used. This destroys the habitat of any animals living on the land.

In addition, custom construction is one of the most wasteful processes in terms of material waste. Compound the material waste with the huge increase of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere with daily trips to and from the home site and multiple material deliveries and the carbon footprint increases exponentially.

Affordable Green Homes

A green modular home is built completely in a warehouse. The materials used are ordered in bulk, thus reducing waste and the number of transportation trips needed to build the home.

When the home site is cleared, only the space needed for the foundation is often disturbed which protects animal habitats - and the green benefits just keep going.

When going completely green, the homes are manufactured with recycled materials and energy efficient building supplies. Appliances are certified Energy Star and water heating systems work on demand to save even more energy.

Home owners can also choose to have solar panels placed on the roof of the home to capture energy and reduce electrical bills. Some brands of green modular homes are quite affordable, like Clayton's I-House. Clayton's is a mobile home manufactures that has created an attractive, environmentally friendly home line that is complete with tankless water heaters and rainwater collectors as well as solar panels.

Unique and Innovative in Green Modular Homes

One designer of green prefab homes is taking the idea of solar energy even further. Solaleya homes rotate with the sun to capture the most light for recycled energy!

The home is built to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes with pillars and arches. As the sun moves in the sky, the home rotates to capture the heat and energy. Natural light use also increases in the home because the main living areas are always facing the sun.

Where to Find Green Prefab Homes

Finding green prefab homes in your area can be the most difficult part of the process. Major companies like Blu and MKDesigns offer delivery of the prefabricated home anywhere in the continental United States.

International shipping is also available on these homes, so anyone can order an eco-friendly prefab custom made to order. The time it takes from order to move in is often less than three months.

Many local custom building companies are also working with green home manufacturers in order to increase business. These contractors often work with the company to secure a proper foundation, utilities and site clearing before the home is delivered and set up.

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