National home builder installs 200 kW solar carport system to promote green construction
Industry
Clayton, a Tennessee-based home builder of site-built and off-site built homes, has installed its first 200 kilowatt solar carport system at its Clayton Sulphur Springs home building facility. Installed by Solar One, the new solar panel system will allow the company to offset 30-40% of the facility’s on-demand electricity use with renewable energy while providing shade for its team members’ vehicles.
“Our new solar carport system not only serves as a cost savings tool, but also as a pivotal example of Clayton’s commitment to sustainable building and innovation,” said Gavin Mabe, director of engineering and technology at Clayton. “Our team is very proud to further promote our national green building initiative by creating clean renewable energy that our facility will use to build hundreds of homes every year.”
The new solar power system has the potential to help Clayton Sulphur Springs’ team save just over $24,000 per year in energy costs. To enhance the company’s team member experience, the solar panels were installed in the parking lot to provide shade for team member vehicles and ensure a safer ground location for long-term maintenance of the solar carport system.
“We hope this new solar panel system will serve as a test for further renewable energy enhancements across Clayton,” said Don McCann, general manager of Clayton Sulphur Springs. “Our company is dedicated to tapping smarter, sustainable energy sources and innovative technology to create a cleaner building process for our Clayton-built homes.”
The solar carport installation is part of ongoing efforts to utilize sustainable building and innovation practices at Clayton. The Clayton Sulphur Springs facility, along with all 40 Clayton off-site home building facilities around the nation, have earned ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14001 registration for their sustainable building practices. This highly regarded registration helps ensure that sustainable building guidelines are implemented to promote green practices that increase recycling, reduce energy use and decrease landfill waste.
According to recent solar industry reports, U.S. solar capacity currently totals 71.3 Gigawatts, enough to power 13.5 million American homes. A record number of companies, cities, schools and utilities are turning to solar power to not only provide electricity, but also to reduce overall electricity costs and help protect the environment.
Founded in 1956, Clayton is “committed to opening doors to a better life and building happyness® through homeownership,” the company states. The company is a “diverse home builder committed to quality and durability” and offers traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing, including modular homes, manufactured homes, CrossMod™ homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks and apartments. All Clayton homes are designed, engineered and assembled in America. In 2018, Clayton delivered 47,570 homes to families across the nation. Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information, visit www.claytonhomes.com.