Several months ago, our firm was hired by a new client that claimed to offer comfortable, attractive, energy-efficient, resilient, sustainable housing… that is also affordable.
In our initial telephone conversation, the client’s CEO, Joe Esposito, told me that his “sustainable hybrid” homes included – as standard features – solar photovoltaic (PV), high-efficiency AC, solar thermal for domestic hot water heating, LED lighting, and an integrated cistern for rain water harvesting. Needless to say, I was curious about his definition of “affordable”. However, after visiting the Mesocore website, I realized that sustainable and affordable were no longer mutually exclusive.
The Mesocore concept is very unique. They start with a 20-foot shipping container, but unlike other housing products that use recycled containers, Mesocore builds its own new, steel containers using state-of-the-art robotic welders. The container – or chassis, as they call it – then becomes the core of the new home.
So having established that the homes are energy-efficient, sustainable, and resilient, the question that remains is, are they affordable?
The 1,000 sq-ft, 2/2 home described above can be built on an existing lot here in South Florida for $100/sq-ft or less! The secret to its affordability is due, in large part, to Mesocore’s hybrid construction technique, with the chassis being factory-manufactured and the home’s completion done on site. According to Mesocore, the home can be completed by relatively unskilled workers primarily using drill-drivers. But I suspect many U.S. buyers will prefer to have a professional contractor complete the construction. Even so, since all of the materials are either factory-installed or shipped in the container, ordering mistakes and shortages are minimized or even eliminated.
The standard Mesocore home is designed for temperate climates (ASHRAE Zones 1 and 2) and has the option of being completely off-grid with additional PV panels and batteries. Unfortunately, if you live in colder climes, it is not available.
A regular contributor to HPAC Engineering and a member of its editorial advisory board, the author is a principal at Sustainable Performance Solutions LLC, a south Florida-based engineering firm focusing on energy and sustainability. He can be reached at [email protected].