The PowerPod is a modular home that incorporates many green design elements, including a solar butterfly roof that collects rainwater and includes an active solar array for electricity and hot water. Designed by Lawrence, Massachusetts based PowerHouse Enterprises, the PowerPod can be transported on two trailers to your site for assembly. Measuring just 480 square feet, the floor plan highlights an open living/dining/kitchen area that opens onto a front porch. High ceiling create a sense of spaciousness. A PowerPod home costs about $100,000 or $200 per square foot.
The company also makes another larger modular home. A key design element of this green building is its metal roof, which on first thought may not seem energy-efficient. After all, metal absorbs heat, and air conditioners consume a lot of electricity.
But PowerHouse’s metal roof serves two specific purposes: heating the house in the cold season and generating electricity. Builders run plastic water tubes under the roof. The water is heated by the sun and distributed through the house to supply hot water and warm the house. The house also has solar electric panels to generate electricity during the day.
Via: CNET and TreeHugger
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I am very interested in getting more information about the PowerPod home. Does this $100,000 include anything else… delivery, septic, electric? If the price is for the house alone, it’s not a very good deal. This size modular home would only take about $15,000 to build.
Are these Power Pod homes available in Canada?
My third graders are learning about energy efficiency, and enjoyed reading about your PowerPod home. However, we discovered a grammatical error in the home’s description. The sentence that reads, “High ceiling create a sense of spaciousness” should be written over as either (a) The high ceiling creates a sense of spaciousness. or (b) High ceilings create a sense of spaciousness. Either is correct. Thanks!
How much does a powerhouse large single family home cost in general?
$200 per square foot is ridiculous – my wife and I will be retiring in about 2 years – we have found a straw bale builder in Colorado who can do a turn key 896 sq ft or 1180 sf home for appx $115 per sf – add in solar, geothermal and a grey water system and the cost (including state rebates and federal tax credits) is WAY under $200 per sf (appx $145 per sf)
It seems to me that companies that sell homes like these ALL charge $200 or more per sf – which limits the choices to really small homes of 500 sf or so(which I do not like for 2 people) or limits the buyers to the more affulent – people who can afford houses like this
http://www.zerohouse.net/