Green Initiatives

It is now widely accepted that the modular construction process is more resource efficient, not only in terms of labor and money, but also with regard to material usage and waste. The McGraw-Hill Construction Smart Market Report, Prefabrication and Modularization: Increasing Productivity in the Construction Industry, indicated that 77% of architects, engineers and contractors surveyed reported a reduction in site waste. Incredibly, 44% reported that site waste was reduced by 5% or greater. The EPA reports that the average amount of construction and demolition waste generated for a non residential project is 4.34 lbs/sq ft. For a 10,000 square foot facility, this amounts to 43,400 pounds of waste, or over 21 tons! If owners are able to reduce this amount by just 5% using modular construction techniques, that translates into 2,170 pounds of waste, or over a ton of waste per project diverted from the landfills.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) also recognizes the inherent materials advantages using prefabrication and off-site construction techniques. In its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes rating system, the USGBC awards points under its materials and resources sections MR 1.2 and MR 1.3. “Projects with a precut framing package (e.g. modular homes, kit homes) are awarded MR 1.2 and MR 1.3 (detailed framing documents) automatically.” Additionally, LEED for Homes includes a credit specifically for off-site fabrication – MR 1.5. MR 1.5 states “this credit should only be awarded if the walls, roof, and floors are fabricated off-site.” > learn more

Besides the green benefits of the streamlined, resource efficient  construction process, modular construction allows for sustainable design that utilizes materials and components that are Green Seal, Energy Star, and FSC -certified. Our manufacturers have the capability to supply Energy Star certified modules for Energy Star compliant building designs. Modular construction is often the choice for Net Zero designed buildings, with the additional required design specifications readily incorporated into the manufacturing of the modules. For LEED rated projects, modular construction can help your project achieve the highest level of LEED credits in most LEED rating categories.