PowerPod: Small Green Prefabs from a New PowerHouse
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 08. 8.07
Powerhouse is a new name to us in the green prefab biz; the Lawrence, MA company's President Quincy Vale previously was involved in the Massachusetts Green Buildings Program, and its design principal , John Rossi, is LEED accredited, so they have serious credentials. They are building some relatively conventional sized and designed projects (see installation of one here) with green materials, solar power, and radiant floors, but I am really attracted to their PowerPod, shown above.
First problem to be solved on any modular unit is how you get under bridges; they have developed a very clever butterfly popup roof.
Plans are simple and straightforward. Materials are sustainably sourced. It has active solar, rainwater collection, SIP walls, and radiant floors, which are terrific if you are going to build on piers instead of a basement, but an expensive decision. And we like piers; they are less destructive to the landscape and need less site work.
The modular green prefab biz is full of difficult choices and tradeoffs. The Powerhouse people appear to have thought about them carefully here. Small, green, just drop it in place, what could be better? More at ::PowerPod from ::Powerhouse
I like the way they have the popup made with different materials; it is so difficult to match the factory built stuff from the site installed finishes. There are no issues when it is different.
No pretense in the interior either; you can see the trim covering the joint between the popup and the clerestory. They appear even to be painted a different colour.
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Biggest pet peeve?...no pricing information on their website. At least give us the base price for the smallest unit with no options. I understand that pricing can vary widely, but I don't want to have to make a phone call to decide whether this is in the "dare to dream" range or the "not in a million years" range.
I agree with you Jared. I e-mailed them asking what the price range or average price is. So hopefully they let me know soon. I'll post it here asap.
Well, i love the outside, not a fan of the different color walls inside.
But whenever I see a roof that does that i wonder how it will hold up in a lot of snow.
I AM DISABLED WITH MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY. I WONDER IF THIS HOUSE IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT, SAFE/LOW TOXIC ENOUGH FOR ME TO LIVE IN ?
I emailed them for prices too, and have yet to get a response, soon as I do I will post prices too :)
The house above is about $100,000. Not inexpensive, but given the materials they're using, it should last a good long time, and save the owner a bundle on energy year-round.
I noted in an article I found at another site that some of these are being used in Maine; and they are designed and built in Massachusetts, where it also snows. So, one hopes they can handle the weight of snow on them and shed it as needed.
At the site they also have a couple of other more conventional roof profiles, still with solar, etc. included in the design.
This is the response I got:
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your inquiry to PowerHouse. I am attaching some information on the PowerPod as well as a look at the energy usage for the Houses. The Pods are probably even more energy efficient than the PowerHouse Homes.
Briefly, the PowerPod is a single module that comes in one piece ready to go. It is set up in a day or two, rests on piers (small concrete columns), not a traditional foundation, and is a free-standing office, home, workshop...the options are extensive.
The sizes are: 14'x16' | 14'x24' | 14'x32'
There are three levels of finish: Industrial, Business, and Luxury Home.
There are also three styles that you can choose from that are all pictured in the brochure.
Prices vary depending on finish as well as location, but for a ball park figure based on our experience in New England a PowerPod is $150-200 per sq ft (and again, that comes finished).
Please let me know if you have any further questions or are interested in discussing next steps.
Best Regards,
Matt
How much in general is the power"HOUSE" single family homes?