California-based modular building company S2A Modular wants to build hundreds of net-positive energy homes and plans to do it faster than traditional construction, more eco-friendly, and cheaper. President and co-founder John Rowland created the company after 30 years as a general contractor, according to Fast Company. He’s currency building 35 carbon-neutral manufacturing facilities to bring his goal to fruition. Similar to the factories, the homes will be net-zero energy. With just one factory running a single shift, Rowland anticipated 500 homes coming out from the factory in the first year, 750 the second year, and 1,000 the third year.
If the factories run more than one shift, the capacity would be about 2,000 units per year from each factory. So, with 35 facilities, Rowland is ramping up to between 35,000 and 70,000 homes per year around 2025.
On top of all that, his first carbon neutral factory is net positive and produces $178,000 in revenue from extra power. Rowland is applying that same innovative process management and engineering prowess for the homes constructed inside the factory.
“Very little happens at the job site,” he said. “Ninety percent of the home is completed in the factory – MEP, cabinets, showers, toilets, lights are all installed. On site is the buttoning up of sections and finish work on the marriage lines. Usually, all site work is completed within four weeks. Sometimes we do flooring on site.”