Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing, Palm Harbor Homes, Inc., talks about Palm Harbor’s commitment to strong, efficient, green modulars

• Why has Palm Harbor become a leader in building strong, energy efficient modular homes?

Palm Harbor’s motivation to exceed commonly accepted standards of strength and energy efficiency comes from its foundational belief that that our homeowners deserve homes that exceed their expectations. Most people consider their mortgage, property taxes, and homeowner’s insurance to be part of the cost of home-ownership, while neglecting the very real costs of maintenance and utilities. Palm Harbor has always chosen to focus on minimizing both of these, allowing our customers to own more home than they would have been able to own otherwise. This is our value proposition to our homeowners. Palm Harbor will provide a strong, tightly built home that will save you money on energy costs and repairs so you can use that savings on what homeowners really want – more square footage or customization.

Besides being the right thing to do for our customers, a focus on strong, efficient homes is the right thing to do for the environment. Building to high levels of energy efficiency helps conserve natural resources, while building more durable homes reduces the impact of scrapped building materials on landfills.

• Why did Palm Harbor choose to partner with ENERGY STAR^® in the mid 80’s?

Because Palm Harbor was already building homes to standards beyond code requirements, partnering with ENERGY STAR almost 20 years ago was a natural step. Florida’s hot, humid conditions made our Plant City, Florida, manufacturing operation the perfect location to establish how far we could go with energy efficiency and green construction. Our Division President, Mike Draper, worked with our Vice President of Engineering, Bert Kessler, to make ENERGY STAR a reality for Palm Harbor Homes. Once the process was established, it was rolled out to Palm Harbor manufacturing facilities nationwide.

Given our long-established focus on energy efficiency, Palm Harbor did not have to make major modifications to assembly lines. However, we did make some minor changes to our construction techniques to better accommodate our duct-leak test procedure, but the adjustments were minor and did not necessitate an extensive investment.

• Did Palm Harbor’s ability to customize homes for the modular market make the shift to energy efficient construction easier than for a non-custom manufactured builder?

Because Palm Harbor has always allowed customers to customize their homes, our associates were used to dealing with differences from one home to the next. For Palm Harbor, having a higher energy efficiency as a standard meant that we did not have to sell numerous upgrades. For an assembly line, this makes things easier and more efficient. Additionally, Palm Harbor’s construction as it relates to energy efficiency is standardized. Consequently, no matter what customers choose, the basic process is the same.

Recently, one of our homes received the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) first Energy Smart label. This home, the Bimini out of our Plant City, Florida, building center, is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas. In contrast, an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

• Is the market for energy efficient modular homes on the rise?

Currently, it is difficult to name any market that has expanded in raw numbers. However, green building is well established as a concern for a growing segment of today’s buyers. Consumers are feeling the impact of higher energy prices as well as becoming more aware of important issues such as sustainability and conservation. Educated consumers are focusing on the fact that they can minimize the long-term cost of home ownership with a small investment in energy efficiency when they buy their home and help the environment. Recent efforts by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are aimed at increasing homebuyers’ confidence in the energy efficiency and durability of the home they are investing in by providing a national standard that homebuilders can adopt and use.

• Will we see more modular builders adopt energyefficiency and green construction as part of their building practices?

In the past, green building has been more popular in areas of the country that offered significant utility rebates to homebuyers who opted for more efficient homes, even when energy costs were lower. However, with energy prices now rising substantially, green building is being demanded across the country. As potential homebuyers continue to inquire about green building, more builders will adapt their homes to qualify for green construction, modular or otherwise.

Modular companies have a great opportunity to lead this effort. The efficiencies offered by a production line and the natural ability to minimize waste by building in a controlled environment give modular a head start toward achieving high levels of green building and energy efficiency.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

The Bimini is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas of less than $150 per month. In contrast an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

The Bimini was built in the company’s Plant City, Florida, building center. It was one of three homes displayed in the 2008 IBS show by Palm Harbor Homes and Nationwide Custom Homes, a division of Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. Featured as the Green Home, the Bimini is a 3,644 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms demonstrating the latest in green design and products.

“As an ENERGY STAR partner since 1997 and a 2007 Partner of the Year, Palm Harbor Homes was honored to provide the Green Home for the Professional Builder’s Show Village. As a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Builders Challenge, it meant a great deal to have U.S. Department of Energy’s Secretary Samuel W. Bodman tour our Nationwide home before launching the Builders Challenge and apply its first ever E-Scale sticker to the Bimini,” said Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing for Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. “Energy efficiency has always been an important part of the value proposition we provide to our Palm Harbor customers and our efforts to protect the environment.”

For information on the Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge for homeowners, homebuilders and prospective partners, visit: http://www.energy.gov

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

Michigan Manufactured Housing Association member Palm Harbor Homes has made strides to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction…

An ENERGY STAR partner since 1997, Palm Harbor is being honored for building homes that meet EPA’s strict guidelines for energy-efficiency. In January 2006, the Company was awarded the “Gold Energy Value Housing Award” from the National Association of Home Builders. ENERGY STAR qualified new homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling and water heating – homeowners can expect to save about $200-$400 annually on their utility bills. More than 500,000 families now live in ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

“We know that building energy efficient homes is a win for consumers and the environment.” said Larry Keener, Chairman and CEO. “Our homes offer comfort and reliability, all while saving our customers money and protecting the environment. Our partnership with ENERGY STAR is an important part of our value proposition to our customers.”

The 2007 Partner of the Year Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contribution to the creation of energy-efficient homes. Homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR benefit the environment by providing homeowners with quiet and comfortable homes that save money on utility bills. Winners are selected from over 9,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Last year alone, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 25 million vehicles.

“Partners like Palm Harbor Homes are building a new generation of homes that reduce our impact on the environment,” said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Each ENERGY STAR qualified new home prevents 4,500 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year, while giving homeowners greater comfort and lower energy bills.”

Read full press release on palmharbor.com.