Future looks brighter for Greensteel

For the last two years things have been tight at Carrabelle’s Greensteel factory, but company founder and CEO Tony Attalla says he can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s sunlight.

In a telephone interview last week, Attalla said he is in possession of advance deposits for several houses and expects to receive advances on several larger projects during the next month. He said the Carrabelle factory will be up and running by the end of this month, employing more than 20 people. While he has some names on file, he will be seeking additional labor.

The prefabricated housing manufacturer has been in Chapter 11 reorganization since December.

Attalla said that if an expected order for 37 condominiums in Marathon comes through, Greensteel will be in the black for 2010. He said the Marathon project will keep the factory working for a year and allow him to employ up to 35 workers.

Greensteel houses are based on the “Katrina Cottages” designed by Tolar Denmark Architects for construction in post-Katrina Louisiana and Mississippi.  The cottages, named Greensteel because they are both tough and environmentally friendly, are constructed at the Carrabelle factory complete with plumbing and electrical wiring. Trucked to the home site in two pieces, they can be assembled in about a day and plugged into electricity and the water and sewer system. The houses are anywhere from 800 to 4,000 square feet in size and have up to three bedrooms.

The Carrabelle factory was constructed in 2007 with financial support from the city totaling about $1.5 million in grant money.

Attalla now plans to market a new product, the NetZero solar home, which will be energy independent under Florida’s weather conditions. He said the addition of the solar power system will add no more than $8 per square foot to the cost of the house.

“NetZero owners will be getting a check back from the power company each month because they produce more energy than they use,” said Attalla. “Our current designs cost only about $70 per month to heat and cool.”

It is estimated the homes will generate power at their peak for six hours a day and much of that will be sold to the local electric provider. At night the homes will purchase power.

Attalla said the home could also be constructed off grid if a battery is installed to store electricity, but said he doesn’t believe satisfactory batteries are yet available.

NetZero homes are constructed with monocrystalline solar cells, the most efficient available and cost about 10 percent more than the more commonly used multichrystalline panels. Attalla said Greensteel has become a distributor for the panels to keep the cost down.

Several Greensteel designs, including the NetZero house, are seeking LEED certification from the Green Housing Council. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures by conserving energy and water, reducing waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a healthy and safe environment for occupants..

The Greensteel plant is currently closed for two weeks while awaiting approval from the Florida Department of Community Affairs for several new designs. All modular housing in Florida must obtain this approval.

When the factory reopens, builders will begin construction of a house ordered for WaterColor in south Walton County.

Attalla said the company has been hired to design several houses for SummerCamp as well and expects to construct several model units at the development this fall.