S2A Modular’s Affordable, Net-Zero Homes with Renewable Energy

Costs Are 20% Less Than Traditionally Built Homes

S2A Modular in Southern California is constructing a factory to manufacture modular net-zero-energy private homes, condominiums, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings. In an interview with Renewable Energy Magazine, co-founder and CEO Brian Kudzas spoke about the rising need in the construction industry to move faster than the traditional model. According to Kudzas, the conventional model entails many starting and stopping for uncontrollable factors like weather, noise control at night and on weekends, and much more. In the modular industry, however, several shifts of workers work inside a climate-controlled and secure facility.

Traditionally, it takes around a year to get a construction project completed. With modular construction, Kudzas says S2A Modular tells clients it will take about a 3-month time frame. It only takes about a week in the factory to prepare 90% of the parts, which are shipped to the desired site. It takes 1-2 days to assemble, and all that is left is getting the final 10% of building materials finished inside the house. Speed is a crucial component for a variety of reasons. If a house is being built, payments on construction loans begin when the first dollars are lent to the builder and rise each time the bank disperses more money. Ultimately, the homeowner can be on the hook for a year’s mortgage payments before moving in.

S2A Modular has garnered much attention from developers worldwide in countries like China, Mexico, and Pakistan. Unlike shipping orders, S2A hopes to build a factory in those countries and oversee them personally. The first homes will be constructed for clients in Southern California, but the company has already received an order for 62 homes in Montana. Some of the largest corporations in the world are expressing interest in joining the process. According to Kudzas, they are investigating and considering working with Amazon, Google, Mitsubishi, and LG, amongst other companies.

The company’s target market is homes in the US of around 2’000 square feet. However, the modular concept can be adapted to any size. According to Kudzas, there is an increased interest in the company’s Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which are independent units of about 600 square feet that provide a place for elderly or special needs family members can live on their own. They can also be used as offices and plenty of other independent spaces.

With the modular approach, the company can provide dwellings for about 20% fewer costs than a traditional structure. Most of the savings come from saved time by building in a factory. A home that typically costs $700’000 can be completed by S2A Modular for $560’000, resulting in a lower mortgage payment and lower taxes for the owner.

Starting With A Residential Storage Battery

To learn more about S2A Modular and their affordable, sustainable houses, go to CleanTechnica.com:

“Building modular means creating a more energy efficient package than is possible by trying to retrofit an existing structure. ‘It’s difficult for the average consumer to go out and retrofit their homes with special windows and insulation and doors and all the special components because the home was built in the 1950s,’ Kudzas says. ‘Think of a Tesla car and taking that Tesla battery out and putting it into a Ford Fusion. It’s never going to work.’

The heart of the concept is the inclusion of a residential storage battery, such as the Tesla Powerwall. ‘Our concept is that if you’re going to start with the concept of running a home off a residential storage battery, you’re going to need to surround that with specialized home components to capture as much energy as possible. So we’re starting with that concept and that’s the game-changer.’”

From S2A Modular Offers Affordable Net Zero Homes With Renewable Energy Components - Clean Technica

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/03/19/s2a-modular-offers-affordable-net-zero-homes-with-tesla-renewable-energy-components/

Photo Source: S2A Modular (https://s2amodular.com/)

Have you noticed any modular homes being built where you live?

Written by S2A Modular & Associates Inc.

March 19th, 2019