S2A Modular Is Building 35 Modular Construction Factories Across America
Net Positive Factories Nationwide
After spending over 30 years as a general contractor in the construction industry, John Rowland decided it was time for positive change. He became president and co-founder of California-based modular construction company S2A Modular. He set a goal to significantly impact the world of construction by making it faster, less expensive, and more sustainable. In 2015-16, Rowland built two prototype homes when he realized he needed a factory to accomplish his goals. After committing to factory construction, he has spent just over three years creating ambitious expansion plans.
Rowland plans to build 35 net positive, green, carbon neutral manufacturing factories across the U.S. The first factory was built outside San Jose, CA, in the late summer of 2021. Future locations are planned in Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, California, Canada, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. Every factory takes 6-months to build with prefabricated, carbon-neutral parts shipped from a facility in Florida. The details are sent and assembled within 50 days. All factories will have the same footprint and sustainability targets.
According to Rowland’s projections, in the first year, each factory will be capable of constructing 500 modular homes, and by then, the investment in the development of the factory will be paid off. There are multiple lines within the factories; each line takes around 100 qualified employees to operate, resulting in a finished unit every 2 hours. He expects that if a factory is only running one shift, it could grow to produce 750 homes in the second year and 1’000 homes in the third. If there is more than one shift, each factory's capacity could be around 2’000 units per year. With 35 facilities planned, Rowland will finish between 35’000 and 70’000 modular homes annually by 2025.
In addition, Rowland’s first carbon-neutral factory is net positive and accumulates $178’000 in revenue from additional power. He is applying the same innovative process management and engineering for the homes constructed within the factories. The company has already achieved net positive energy in a prototype home in Southern California. The house uses graphene solar panels by FreeVolt, two Tesla Powerwalls, high-efficiency appliances, low-voltage lighting, and proprietary engineering. Since it was brought online, it has been generating significantly more energy than it uses and is contributing that energy back into the grid.
Organic Products and Sustainable Solutions
For more information about S2A Modular’s factories and how they are achieving net positive, go to Forbes.com:
“‘A traditional modular company will build a different product, but we don’t feel competition from other modular companies,’ Rowland said. ‘We didn’t set out to build the same thing. We have the lowest voltage, lowest amperage product on the planet that uses organic product. Traditional modular companies don’t run that way.’
Rowland is shaping his ideas with strategic, exclusive relationships with these suppliers to create product that isn’t off the shelf. After he decided he wanted a home that ran on batteries, he worked with Tesla to engineer the right solution without trenching, conduits or metal. The 2,000-square-foot prototype home has two Tesla Powerwall batteries and 18 solar panels to achieve net positive. Graphene material is incorporated into the solar panels and has 20 worldwide patents to produce 33% more power than competitive panels, and they have a smaller footprint.
S2A also is avoiding some of the current supply challenges right now because it creates its own organic building materials. ‘We wanted a healthier, holistic way to build the homes,’ Rowland said. ‘The interior of the homes is completely covered with organic, hemp-based material instead of gypsum. The stucco and finishes are made with organic material, which is mold and termite resistant, fire proof. It also lowers the transmission of CO2.’”
From Developer Aims to Have 35 Modular Housing Factories Across The Country Building Net Positive Homes - Forbes
Photo Source: S2A Modular (https://s2amodular.com/)
Would you be willing to invest in a modular smart home if it meant you would accumulate revenue from net positive energy?
Written by S2A Modular & Associates Inc.
April 13th, 2021