Green solar powered i-houses heaviest homes built

Clayton Homes has introduced its new industrial-chic i-houses, a green solar powered idea with innovation, inspiration, intelligence and integration as its ideals. It has a distinctive v-shaped roofline, energy efficiency and luxury appointments. The layout of the long main “core” house and a separate box-shaped guestroom-office “flex room” resemble the letter “i” and its dot. The idea was conceived as a moderately priced “plug and play” dwelling for environmentally conscious homebuyers. The Energy Star-rated design features heavy insulation, six-inch thick exterior walls, cement board and corrugated metal siding, energy efficient appliances, a tankless water heater, dual-flush toilets and lots of “low-e” glazed windows. The company said that this could also very well be one of the heaviest homes ever built.

Estimated costs for electricity and heating total only about $1 per day when the home is sited in an area like Omaha. Clayton Homes plans to price the “i-house” at $100 to $130 a square foot, depending on amenities and add-ons, such as additional bedrooms. A stick-built house with similar features could range from $200 to $300 a square foot to start, said Chris Nicely, Clayton marketing vice president.
[Yahoo]