Kevin Clayton, President of Clayton Homes - one of America’s largest manufacturers of mobile and prefabricated homes gave his architects a free hand instructing them to create a new house incorporating as many green products as possible to produce a home that is supper energy-efficient.

The result is the Clayton I-House, a modern prefab home that can be powered for only a dollar a day.

It has a Low E- windows, high-efficiency appliances, solar augmentation and superior insulation. The solar insulation in the roof cut the electricity in half. There is also a tankless water heater and a cistern which collects rainwater from the roof for use in car washing, gardening and other outdoor uses.

The core unit can be expanded by adding additional rooms in different configurations to suit the homebuyer’s needs and the character of the lot. Placing rooms above one another to accommodate larger families is possible. Clayton Vice President Chris Nicely said “the goal is to allow as much customization both in configuration and interiors. It can be set on a traditional foundation or it can sit on piers driven into the ground.”

As innovative the green house features are, it is the design that draws attention. The interior and exteriors are attractive looking like a high-end home. Clayton is even exploring a partnership with IKEA and let prefab home buyers design their own I-Houses from the IKEA website.

The basic I-House is 992 square feet. Its design is a blend of indoor and outdoor space which makes it seem bigger. Though final prices have not been set, Clayton hopes to deliver it for $100,000.

With energy costs certainly to climb in coming years, the market for a small but stylish house that has many high-end amenities with a low energy bill is a big hit in the plummeting housing market.