One of the main drivers behind high-performance building is the desire to provide as many people as possible—ideally, the world over—with the benefits of an energy-efficient, well-built, healthy, and comfortable home. Having a good house shouldn’t be a privilege only the wealthy enjoy. But for large-scale production developers supplying the majority of those houses, affordable high-performance homes aren’t on their radar.

Of course, there are developers trying to find a better way. Recently, “mlanin” posted a question addressing this topic. He writes that he and his partners have purchased a 14-acre parcel in northern KY, and are waiting for final approval to build 30 duplexes and 9 single-family homes. The plan is for each unit to be under 1300 sq. ft., have a porch and a garage, and be either net-zero ready or PV-equipped net-zero. He estimates that the lot costs will be about $50,000 prior to construction.

The partners have received quotes for on-site construction that range from $200-$400/sq. ft., which is too expensive for that region. Mlanin writes that they can’t sell modest two- or three-bedroom houses on small lots for $300,000. He realizes that this isn’t just their problem. “If energy efficient homes are going to succeed for most home buyers, we need to find a way to build them cost effectively,” he explains.

Mlanin wants to know if anyone in the GBA community is working to solve this problem, which poses the question: Is there a cost-effective way to build affordable, high-performance homes on a large scale? This is the topic for today’s Spotlight.

Reader suggestions

Readers are sympathetic to mlanin’s predicament, agreeing that it is tough, if not impossible, to build small custom homes at an affordable price.

Suggestions for Mlanin include getting in touch with Habitat for Humanity because, as…