Keiser Director of Engineering, Andy Grant (left), receives first Energy Star 2.5 certificate and label from TRA President, Thomas Arnold

For more than 20 years, Keiser Homes has been aligning itself with suppliers of the best building materials available. They pride themselves on the most talented employee base and most reputable network of builders in all of New England. They are problem solvers and idea developers.

As green building has evolved, Keiser has led the industry in energy efficient and sustainable options. In addition to being an Energy Star Partner, Keiser has made certain best practices (i.e. low VOC paints, cellulose ceiling insulation and advanced air sealing techniques) standard throughout their product line. Pushing the limits of green construction, Keiser has developed, with Kaplan Thompson Architects, a “net zero” home, generating as much renewable energy as it consumes.

Look for the “Green Rated” labels on their modular houses to ensure a healthier and more sustainable home. For more information on Keiser Homes visit www.keisermaine.com. For information on green certification, visit www.tragreen.com or contact Mandy Leazenby at 1-800-398-9282.

The agreement with the Camden Affordable Housing Organization will see the Oxford-based manufacturer provide single-family, energy efficient modular homes to the town’s Lupine Terrace housing development. Lupine Terrace, a winner of the Maine Association of Planners 2006 Project of the Year Award, has earned statewide recognition for excellence in village planning, architectural standards and for directly addressing the housing crisis in mid-coast Maine.

Earlier this year, Maine housing officials selected Keiser to replace many of the state’s aging mobile housing units with affordable ENERGY STAR rated homes – the first time a modular company had been tapped for such a substantial program.  Keiser’s President says the new contracts speak both to the need for quality, affordable housing throughout the region and to the parity new modular construction now enjoys with traditional building practices.

“This is an incredibly important project that not only provides quality homes to those who need it most, but confirms for us something we’ve known for quite some time: that the quality and durability of Keiser products will match or better our site-built competition any day of the week, and for a much greater value,” said David Cuttler, President of Keiser Homes. “We are thrilled to have been selected by the Camden Affordable Housing Organization, and look forward to delivering homes that will provide residents many years of comfort and enjoyment.”

Since 1987, Keiser Homes has been a regional leader crafting energy-efficient, custom modular homes and buildings with the same or superior materials as traditional site-built construction – but in a climate-controlled facility that saves owners considerable cost and time. Keiser is a member of the R.J. Finlay & Co. family of businesses. R.J. Finlay & Co. is a New Hampshire-based full service real estate, construction and building materials firm whose diverse portfolio spans 12 companies and includes nearly 300 employees throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.KeiserMaine.com.

The Oxford home manufacturer will provide homes to replace old mobile homes as part of MSHA’s pre-1976 Mobile Home Replacement Program. The program provides low-interest and no-interest loans to Maine residents who live in pre-1976 mobile homes and who qualify for heating assistance.

People involved in making the modular home contract happen for Keiser Industries stand on the steps of the business in Oxford on Monday. Front row, from left, are Linda Walbridge, director Western Maine Economic Development Council at Community Concepts Inc.; Joseph Martin, commercial sales manager for Keiser Industries; and Monica Buck, housing program officer for mobile home replacements at Maine State Housing Authority. Back row, from left, Rickmond McCarthy of Eaton Peabody, who represents the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition; state Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford; David Cuttler, president and CEO of Keiser Industries; and state Rep. Jarrod Crockett, R-Bethel.

“So far, we have one house that has been selected for a modular home,” Joseph Martin, commercial sales manager for Keiser Homes, said.

The Maine State Housing Authority will roughly divide the homes it uses between Keiser and an out-of-state manufacturer of mobile homes, according to MSHA Deputy Director Adam Krea.

“There’s about $4 million dedicated to this program,” he said. “We tried to divide it as evenly as we could between modulars and mobiles.”

Krea said home selection will depend on family size and other criteria. Families that need four or more bedrooms will get modular homes, while smaller families will be matched with mobile homes.

Krea said the MSHA is contracting with in-state retailers for the mobile homes, but said there are no in-state mobile home manufacturers.

According to Krea, one reason Keiser’s bid was accepted from among four competing firms was the quality of their home designs. “They combined the quality and the energy efficiency that we were looking for with a design that kept costs to a minimum.”

Linda Walbridge, director of the Western Maine Economic Development Council, said it’s a victory for the local economy. She and others worked for months to add modular homes to the MSHA’s menu in order to allow local manufacturers to compete.

Before now, homes purchased through the MSHA were mobile homes built in Pennsylvania, Walbridge said. She brought representatives from Keiser and KBS Building Systems of Paris before the Oxford County legislative caucus. She said giving Maine home builders a chance at MSHA contracts was popular with legislators from both parties.

In the end, a provision added to a state energy bill contained language allowing modular home manufacturers to bid on home replacements.

She said KBS, which also bid for the contract, was, along with Keiser, instrumental in getting the housing authority to consider modular homes. “They worked hard, attended many meetings and helped to open the doors at MSHA,” she said.

“We’re hoping that once Maine State Housing has been doing this for a few months, they’ll get more used to modular housing and start using it in other programs as well.”

Rickmond McCarthy of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition said modular homes were attractive because they can be manufactured in Maine and because, unlike mobile homes, they don’t lose value over time.

“A modular home, which you put on a foundation, is an appreciating asset,” McCarthy said. McCarthy said his group advocated for the MSHA to include modular homes in its replacement program.

The effort is to replace mobile homes from before 1976, the year that standards became more strict. Before that, Krea said, “there were no codes, no requirements or standards to which those homes had to be built.

“They typically had aluminum electrical wiring, which is a fire hazard, they have 1-inch thick walls.” Krea called pre-1976 mobile homes “the worst of the worst.”

Krea said the MSHA has a list of families submitted by community agencies across the state. The families all receive heating assistance and, according to agencies across the state, have homes in the worst conditions.

Martin said Keiser hopes to build the MSHA homes during the winter months, when home sales dry up, forcing seasonal layoffs. “That would be the most ideal because if we’re able to do that, we’re able to keep more people employed and the better off we all are.”

Walbridge credited the legislative caucus for making the deal work. Keiser and KBS “have been trying to break down the doors for years,” Walbridge said. “We were able to get people together and make it happen.”

Read the full featured story here:
http://content.yudu.com/A1szcp/GreenBuilderJuly2011/resources/60.htm

Read the full featured story here:
http://www.mainehomedesign.com/features/1377-architectures-a-list.html

Energy-efficient homes constructed from sustainable materials are gaining traction across the country, but two Maine companies say they have created the first US modular net-zero homes, featuring superinsulation, efficient heaters and solar panels; together, the features will generate as much energy as the home will use in a year.

Because they’re modular, the homes on offer from Kaplan Thompson Architects and Keiser Industries are priced comparably with traditional homes, and cost much less than a custom-built net-zero home. Phil Kaplan, principal of Kaplan Thompson, is hopeful that they will appeal to buyers who may not have been in the market for an net-zero home, but will be attracted to their comfort, looks and advantages.

“Sustainable design has gotten a bad rap,” said Phil Kaplan, principal at the architectural firm. “People think it has to be more expensive, or if it’s not, it looks like a box.”

The partners at Kaplan Thompson have designed three homes ranging from 960 to 1,680 square feet, with prices of $205,000 and $235,000, and none of them look like a box. In fact, they’re light, bright and adhere to many Not-So-Big architectural principles.

Like any true Mainers, the partners have focused on sealing out the winter winds, and their Modular Zero Collection has double the insulation of most homes — R40 in the walls, R60 in the roof — as well as extensive air sealing, hydronic heating and triple-glazed windows. The homes’ heating requirements will be about one-third of a typical new home’s. Their collaboration began in 2008, when they partnered on a net-zero modular office-studio in Rockport, Maine. That project was more expensive than their new collection, but it did gain national exposure.

Realistic Expectations

All of the homes in the line will be wired and plumbed for solar power, but fully installing both solar and solar thermal systems will cost a further $40,000 before tax credits. Of those who opt for solar, most will stick with the solar water heater option at the time of construction, but the partners are realistic about home buyers choosing to spend extra at present, whether or not the recession is technically over. For many, the super-insulation will be more than enough.

Keiser Industries, the builder in the partnership, has years of experience building to Energy Star standards and is working to integrate green building materials and methods into all of its projects. Its Energy Star package adds about $6,000 to the construction costs of a new home, but can deliver fuel cost savings of 40%.

“We think this is the direction of the future,” said Keiser Sales Manager Josh Saunders. “Even more than sustainable, energy efficient is what people are going to gravitate to. That’s where the payback is.”

Kieser is now beginning to sell the Modular Zero Collection to other members of parent company R.J. Finlay & Co.‘s New England operations, stressing the advantages of energy efficiency in the region’s climate, and the advantage of having a new home ready for occupancy within three months.

By Dennis Hoey
of the Portland Press Herald

PORTLAND — An affordable-housing project on Peaks Island cleared its final hurdle Tuesday night as it received subdivision approval from the Portland Planning Board.

Developers say the three-lot subdivision on Luther Street will be designed to provide energy-efficient, affordable homes for people who work in such professions as firefighting, police work or teaching.

Each home will cost an average of $600 to $650 a year to heat.

Earlier this year, Homestart Affordable Housing won approval from the City Council for a contract zone. The zoning was needed for the undersized lots, said William Walsh III, an engineer who presented the project to the Planning Board on behalf of Homestart.

Walsh said the contract zone also requires that the homes remain affordable, even if there is a change in ownership.

One home will be rented, the second will be rented with an opportunity to own, and the third will be sold.

Two of the homes will be manufactured on the mainland and transported by barge to Peaks Island. The third will be a reconstructed home that’s already on the site, according to Homestart’s proposal.

Some opposition to the project was expressed earlier this year by Peaks Island residents, but no one spoke at Tuesday’s public hearing.

“Thanks for all your work on a great project,” said Planning Board Chairman Bill Hall after the board’s unanimous vote.

Also Tuesday, the board recommended a change to the land use code to allow community gardens within the city to operate temporary farmstands. The City Council must approve the change for it to take effect.

The zoning amendment would let community gardens sell flowers, vegetables, herbs or fruit from stands as large as 100 square feet.

Board members voted to allow the garden stands to operate from May 25 through Oct. 30, and sell produce from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cultivating Community, which is based in Portland and manages a community garden on Boyd Street, provided the impetus for the zoning change.

A Portland architect is teaming up with the state’s leading modular home builder to create a series of modular houses with the capacity to generate as much energy as they use.

The Modular Zero Collection is being launched this month by Kaplan Thompson Architects and Keiser Industries LLC of Oxford. The companies say they are the first in the country to offer a production line of so-called net-zero homes, which combine superinsulation, efficient heaters and solar energy to produce all the power they need, on an annual basis.

This Falmouth house is a prototype for a new line of Maine-built modular homes, which use superinsulation, efficient heaters and solar power to produce as much energy as they use annually. Photo by Trent Bell

Unlike custom, net-zero homes, these factory-made houses are meant to compete on price with conventional, site-built structures. Prices will start at $205,000 for a small, two-bedroom house, excluding the cost of land, utilities and solar panels.

The selling point, however, isn’t the initial expense. The appeal is to buyers who want a comfortable house with standard amenities, in which energy costs are stable for the life of the mortgage and essentially zero after that.

“Sustainable design has gotten a bad rap,” said Phil Kaplan, a principal at the architectural firm. “People think it has to be more expensive, or if it’s not, it looks like a box.”

The three models in the modular collection don’t look like boxes.

The smallest model, the Chebeague, is 960 square feet. It has two bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a gabled roof and porch. The midsized model, the Peaks, is 1,200 square feet and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Both start at $205,000.

These models are expected to be the first homes built and delivered this fall to an affordable-housing development on Peaks Island. Because of budget limitations, the solar hot water and electrical systems that would allow the house to achieve a net-zero capacity aren’t included in the package.

But the homes will be heat misers. Air sealing, premium windows and double the typical insulation — R-values of 40 in the walls and 60 in the roof — will cut heat requirements by roughly two-thirds, compared to a standard new house.

The idea for the Keiser-Kaplan collaboration goes back two years, when Kaplan and a New Hampshire modular builder designed a net-zero office-studio that was assembled in Rockport. That custom project was expensive, but it gained national attention.

The project caught the eye of executives at Keiser and its parent company, R.J. Finlay & Co. Keiser had been building some homes to the federal government’s Energy Star standards and was interested in integrating more green building into its products. While it doesn’t expect sales to take off in today’s economic downturn, Keiser wants to position itself for a recovery.

“We think this is the direction of the future,” said Josh Saunders, Keiser’s sales manager. “Even more than sustainable, energy efficient is what people are going to gravitate to. That’s where the payback is.”

To achieve net-zero performance, Keiser looked at a site-built home Kaplan had recently designed in Falmouth. That home, which is 1,680 square feet and has three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms, served as a prototype for the line. It’s being offered as the Great Diamond model, with a starting price of $235,000.

Each model combines energy efficiency with features that promote healthy indoor living, such as low-emission paint and heat recovery ventilation for fresh air exchange. South-facing windows help warm the homes in winter; roof overhangs block hot sunlight in summer.

Each home will be plumbed and wired for solar. For buyers who choose the option, solar hot water, solar electric systems or both will be installed.

Choosing both systems could add another $40,000 or so, although tax credits could lower the cost. The systems are designed to soak up enough energy over the course of a year to offset electric bills. The extra power generated by the solar electric panels in the summer and fed back into the grid is intended to make up utility costs in winter — resulting in net-zero energy consumption.

Despite its enthusiasm, Keiser has doubts that many buyers will spend the extra money, unless energy prices skyrocket.

“It’s going to be hard to sell net-zero, although I really want to,” Saunders said.

These homes are aimed at middle-class families. Some may decide to install just solar hot water, which is less costly and has a faster payback. Most will be content to cut their heating bills, Saunders suggested, with a tight, superinsulated house.

Keiser is preparing literature to begin selling the product line through its network of builders in New England. The marketing goal, Saunders said, is to stress the advantages of a highly energy-efficient home that’s produced to factory specifications and can be ready for occupancy within three months of signing a contract.

Some builders already have experience selling Keiser’s Energy Star package, which adds another $6,000 or so to the cost of a home but cuts fuel costs by 40 percent.

“Net-zero is a greater version of that,” said Nick Sherman, sales manager at Hallmark Homes Corp. in Topsham.

Sherman, who also is president of the Modular Home Builders Association of Maine, sees two kinds of buyers as likely candidates for net-zero homes.

The first, he suggested, are people who drive hybrid cars out of environmental concerns, rather than hopes of saving money.

Other buyers, perhaps those on a fixed income, will remember the brief period of record oil prices in 2008 and worry about what energy will cost five years from now.

“I got a glimpse of what $4.50 oil looked like, and it scared me,” Sherman said.

PEAKS ISLAND – Paula Coward who has applied to live in one of the new houses to be built in the village area of Peaks Island is a step closer to seeing her home a reality.   “I feel this is a great opportunity for a great new chapter in Peaks housing. Living on an island has is own set of challenges bringing energy resources to the island. Building a new energy efficient green house would greatly benefit the island.  My family has been renting year round on Peaks for two years now and I am certain that Peaks is the right place for us. We’ve struggled to find affordable housing that did not require additional work and energy efficient updates. I strongly support the Luther Street project and feel it would provide a great opportunity for year round families to stay on the island and invest in the future of our community.”

Architect Jamie Broadbent’s rendering of the proposed new Luther Street homes and the existing house.

The Portland City Council voted unanimously July 19 to grant a Conditional Rezone allowing the renovation or replacement of an existing house at 18 Luther Street, Peaks Island and the construction of two new homes on the property.  The project organizer, Home Start, is a volunteer 501(c)(3) island based organization formed to create and maintain affordable housing opportunities for residents of Peaks Island.  The Luther Street project will rehab or replace the existing home as a rental, build two new homes as a rent-to-own and ownership opportunity.  All three highly energy efficient buildings will be offered as affordable housing to community members of modest means.

To guide the process and proceed to completion, HOME START assembled a team of professionals led by Project Director, Bill Walsh, Principle of Walsh Engineering, who has been responsible for applications, site design and permitting, and the site plan review process.  Bill Floyd, President of Genesis Community Loan Fund, provides technical and financial advice and assistance.  Jamie Broadbent of Kaplan Thompson Architects designed the proposed efficient homes with Keiser Homes of Oxford Maine who will build these modular homes and ModSource of Oxford Maine who will deliver and construct them on site.  The plans specify a high level of energy efficiency and Maine sourced materials and products.  Deed restrictions placed on each property will ensure affordability into the future and a Selection Committee independent of HOME START is reviewing applications from hopeful residents.

Currently HOME START is seeking a $350,000 grant from the 2010 Affordable Housing Initiative for Maine Islands. This new $2 million MaineHousing program will provide grant awards for housing that meets a demonstrated need in the year-round island communities of Chebeague, Cliff, Frenchboro, Great Cranberry, Isle au Haut, Islesboro, Islesford, Long, Matinicus, Monhegan, North Haven, Peaks, Swans, and Vinalhaven.

The grant funds may be used to create new rental housing or substantially rehabilitate existing properties which will ensure an appropriate rate for one rental and one rent-to-own after 15 years for residents at 80 to 120% of average median income.  These two houses will complement a single home ownership opportunity financed by Maine Bank and Trust for a similar qualifying family. Funding for the grant program comes from tax-exempt bond proceeds from the Maine Energy, Housing, and Economic Recovery Program. These bonds are scheduled to be repaid with funds from the state’s share of the Real Estate Transfer Tax.

Going forward, the Luther Street Project expects approval by the Planning Board of the Site Plan with MaineHousing grant monies and the construction loan available in September.  Given success with the Planning Board and MaineHousing, prefabrication will occur in October with installation in November or December.  There could be three families in place by the start of 2011.

The 18 Luther Street proposal will go back to the City Planning Board for a site review process and final approval.

For more information about Home Start, please visit http://peaksislandhomestart.org.   For more information about the 2010 Affordable Housing Initiative for Maine Islands, please visit http://www.mainehousing.org/.

One Maine company has even constructed its own new office building as a testament to this expected industry turn-around. Keiser Industries, a division of R.J. Finlay & Co., recently built a two-story modular office building in Oxford, Maine.

At nearly 5,000 square feet, the structure houses Keiser’s sales staff on one floor, its engineering staff on another, and includes expanded conference and meeting rooms. It will also contain products that the company has researched and determined to be of best use in a modular commercial building – including lighting, flooring, and heating systems.

Keiser Industries' new two-story modular office building in Oxford, Maine.

Robert Finlay, chairman and CEO of R.J. Finlay & Co., said Keiser’s new office building showcases the enormous strengths and possibilities in the modular commercial industry.

“We wanted to show our customers how multi-faceted the modular industry is, and thought, ‘What better way to do that than to be an example ourselves?’” Finlay said. “There is a huge opportunity for the modular industry to expand in the commercial sector as the markets rebound. This is our chance to show developers, architects and potential customers what we can do, and why it’s advantageous to build modular.”

Scott Stone, president of the Modular Home Builders Association of Maine, noted that the commercial side of the modular industry is growing substantially, led by companies like Keiser making investments today.

“The modular industry is certainly seeing an increase in business from the commercial side, which is exciting,” Stone said. “Examples such as Keiser’s new office building demonstrate the high quality, detail in design and value of a modular structure.”

Since 1987, Keiser Industries has set modular construction standards in craftsmanship, customer service, and innovation. For more information, visit keisermaine.com. R.J. Finlay & Co. is a holding company of diverse businesses and investments with a central focus on real estate. For more information, visit rjfinlayco.com.

The Modular Home Builders Association of Maine is proactive with issues affecting members, consumers, and public policy. The Association establishes and promotes practices and standards for excellence in homebuilding. For more information, visit modularhomebuilders.org.

story from mainebusiness.com