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By Katie Tothill

Anyone who has built a home knows the challenge of balancing energy efficiency and staying on budget. While it often seems like you must choose between the two, Preferred Building Systems of Claremont has found a way to satisfy both needs.
For little more money than your current home, PBS can build a brand-new, Energy Star-certified modular home. It does this through the use of energy-efficient building techniques and green materials. The homes are designed to be 43 percent more efficient than a building built to New Hampshire code and 23 percent more efficient than a home built to Energy Star’s minimum requirements.
PBS, a division of LaValley Building Supply, was created in 2006 and is located in the former Holson-Burnes Photo Album Factory. PBS pairs prospective homeowners with a builder who helps design and complete the home. The walls, floors, windows, doors and cabinetry are assembled in the factory and delivered within approximately eight to 10 weeks of the final changes being made and the site being prepared.
PBS offers sample home plans on its website, preferredbuildings.com, ranging from traditional ranches and capes to duplexes and split levels. PBS offers design services to customize its standard plans or utilize plans that customers create.
“I have been going to the plant every other day for over a year,” said Jeffrey Michaud, sales and publicity manager for PBS. “I have not seen one of our stock home plans yet.”
In addition to being able to withstand New England’s environmental rigors, PBS’s homes must also be durable enough to withstand travel from the factory to the site and being positioned by crane onto the foundation.
“Modular homes are built to a much higher standard of structural continuity than standard homes,” said Chet Pasho, building science consultant for PBS. “The products we choose, how we put them together and our attention to detail affect our long-term durability.”
All of the materials are stored and assembled inside the factory, which prevents moisture problems.
PBS homes save homeowners money inside and out, predominantly through the use of National Fiber’s Nu-Wool insulation, according to Pasho. Nu-Wool is a noncombustible insulation made of recycled newspapers that offers increased thermal properties compared with traditional fiberglass insulation.
“If you make an investment in insulating and air sealing, it can reduce fuel costs over the life of your home by an average of 40 percent or more per year,” Pasho said.
Nu-Wool comes with a lifetime warranty against mold and mildew and is filtered with borate, which kills ants and termites but is safe for humans.
Heat recovery ventilation systems are included in all homes from PBS. The systems vent moist, stale air out of the home while retaining its heat and bringing fresh air in.
“We are so committed to the energy and health of our homes that heat recovery ventilation systems are standard,” Michaud said.
For customers interested in more advanced efficiency measures, such as solar or geothermal heat sources, PBS can prepare the home for the builder by putting extra conduit into the walls. This makes alternative energy sources more affordable as the technology becomes more mainstream.
Pasho explained that there is a difference between energy-efficient products and “green” products, recommending that consumers exercise caution when choosing products for their homes.
“Just because a product is advertised as green doesn’t make it good for you,” Pasho said.
To date, PBS has built more than 300 homes in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

For more information, log on to preferredbuildings.com or call 372-1050 or 888-756-3946.