Builder magazine gets passed around a lot here at the Excel offices, and for good reason. It’s chock full of insight into the things builders need to know about how to succeed (or at least stay above water) in today’s tumultuous economic climate. Excel Homes works with more than 600 builder partners throughout the U.S., so any nugget of information we can absorb and pass along is good for both us and them.

Recently, Builder magazine published an article entitled “6 Lessons For Builders From the Housing Bust.” It contained suggestions for ways builders can change the way they work in order to maximize profits and make better homes.

Though all the tips are valuable (feel free to read them here on the ProSales website), the first tip was perhaps the most relevant to today’s climate (no pun intended). It was called “Build Smarter,” and it talked about the need for builders to create homes that are more energy efficient, especially as regulations on new homes becomes stricter.

As the builder of modular homes, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, we’ve been shouting this advice from the roof tops for the past decade or more. Modular homes are among the most energy efficient homes available, and much more efficient than comparable stick-built homes.

The same “Build Smarter” tip also suggested building smaller homes (yet still energy efficient) to lower pricing and remain competitive. This again falls right in line with the teachings of modular construction. Modular homes can be purchased in various sizes, from smaller two-person dwellings to massive mansions capable of housing a small army. The good news about small modular homes: They’re easy to upgrade later on.

It’s almost as if Builder magazine was reading our minds.

Here’s good news for Pennsylvania homeowners and businesses considering the switch to solar power. The state legislature finally passed a solar-rebate program designed to help offset the cost of purchasing and installing solar systems. According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article, the average 5-kilowatt residential solar system costs between $35,000 and $40,000. A system like that would save around $900 in annual electricity costs.

The stimulus, called the Sunshine Program (more info here), will provide $100 million in funds, which will be used to offer rebates of up to 35 percent of the cost of installing a residential or small business solar power system.

That also means the creation of lots of jobs for solar contractors throughout the state, which makes the Sunshine Program a win-win for everyone involved.