- Collaboration pairs Ford C-MAX Energi and other energy-efficient technologies with KB Home’s ZeroHouse 2.0 model home to showcase affordable sustainable living
- KB Home to feature Ford’s MyEnergi Lifestyle® in ZeroHouse 2.0 in San Marcos, Calif.
- ZeroHouse 2.0 represents the next generation of energy-efficient home design that can help lower cost of home ownership compared to a typical resale home. A fully optioned ZeroHouse 2.0 could entirely eliminate monthly electricity charges
- With a starting price of $29,995, Ford C-MAX Energi is America’s most affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle
DEARBORN, Mich. & SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2013 – Ford Motor Company and KB Home (NYSE: KBH) today announce that products from the Ford-led initiative MyEnergi Lifestyle®
will be featured in the homebuilder’s ZeroHouse 2.0 model home in San
Marcos, Calif., and potentially in additional KB Home markets.
The relationship between these two innovative leaders is intended
to raise awareness of MyEnergi Lifestyle benefits and provide a showcase
for electric-powered vehicles, solar power systems and smart
appliances. The initiative will demonstrate how the typical American
family can potentially save money while reducing their impact on the
environment by combining a highly efficient home design with the latest
in smart home technology and an affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle.
MyEnergi Lifestyle works by leveraging technology so key
energy-consuming devices in a home use less energy, while also shifting
energy usage to less expensive periods. At night, for example, when
energy costs are lower, a smart refrigerator can perform high-energy
tasks like ice making or defrosting – just as Ford’s plug-in vehicles do
with recharging.
At an event today in San Marcos, Ford’s all-new C-MAX Energi was on
display and plugged into ZeroHouse 2.0’s built-in electric vehicle
charge station, which is engineered to charge the vehicle during
off-peak hours for maximum cost efficiency. C-MAX Energi boasts an
impressive 100 MPGe combined, according to the EPA, plus – unlike others
in the segment – returns “real car” performance with up to 195
horsepower, engaging driving dynamics and a quiet interior. With a
starting price of $29,995, C-MAX Energi is America’s most affordable
plug-in hybrid.
“KB Home is a leader in incorporating state-of-the-art sustainable
building practices, and we’re thrilled to feature MyEnergi Lifestyle
products in these homes,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford global director of
vehicle electrification and infrastructure. “The home and vehicle share a
common ‘fuel’ called electricity, now more than ever. Our commitment to
sustainability compels us to work collaboratively to find technology
solutions that are greater than the sum of the parts.”
The future of net-zero energy
ZeroHouse 2.0 continues a national rollout of the net-zero energy
home options KB Home began in fall 2011. The ZeroHouse 2.0 in San Marcos
pushes the envelope even more, as it’s the first WaterSense-labeled
home built in San Diego County, and includes both a comprehensive
Schneider Electric Wiser™ Home Management System and all-new Whirlpool smart appliances that incorporate Whirlpool® 6th Sense Live™
technology. The Wiser Home Management System allows homeowners to
monitor energy consumption, and provides automation control via a
Web-based portal or mobile application. This marks the first time these
innovative products have been used by a production homebuilder.
Whirlpool’s smart products allow homeowners to monitor and program
their appliances through wireless networks, providing greater
convenience and control over energy consumption. With Whirlpool 6th
Sense Live, homeowners can set their appliances so their highest energy
consumption activities happen at times when electricity rates are
lowest. They can also receive alerts about the status of their smart
appliances – all from their smartphones or computers.
“We’re so pleased to announce our new relationship with Ford, and
to have the opportunity to use our innovative new ZeroHouse 2.0 as a
true model for an energy-efficient and sustainable lifestyle that we
know many of today’s consumers desire to achieve,” said Jeff Mezger,
president and CEO, KB Home. “We continue to refine our ZeroHouse 2.0
options and benefits by further developing and incorporating some of the
latest new home building practices and technologies available today.”
The higher efficiency of ZeroHouse 2.0 is the result of a
whole-home approach – from the inside out – that includes additional
insulation; upgraded HVAC systems; dual-pane, low-emitting windows; and
roof-mounted solar panels by SunPower. Additionally, a
WaterSense-labeled home is designed to use 20 percent less water than a
typical new home. For a family of four, that’s a difference of about
50,000 gallons of water a year compared to a typical home, or enough for
nearly 2,000 loads of laundry and as much as $600 in annual utility
bills.
At today’s event students from San Marcos Middle School and local
officials learned firsthand how much money can potentially be saved by
living in an energy-efficient ZeroHouse 2.0 home. The students toured
the home to learn about the efficiency features included, then watched
as a dump truck load of schoolyard dodge balls was spilled out,
symbolizing the amount of water a WaterSense-labeled home saves in less
than a week compared to a typical new or resale home. KB Home announced
it would make a cash donation to the school, equivalent to a year’s
worth of energy and water savings enjoyed by a family living in the
ZeroHouse 2.0 home when compared to a typical resale home.
History of MyEnergi Lifestyle
The Ford-led MyEnergi Lifestyle collaboration is comprised of
leaders in the home appliance, solar power and power management
industries, and includes Eaton (NYSE: ETN), SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) and
Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR). Additional featured companies include
semiconductor provider Infineon (FSE: IFX/OTCQX: IFNNY) and Nest Labs,
with its latest learning thermostat represented in the research and
implementation phase of the collaboration.
In January Ford released results of a Georgia Institute of
Technology computer model that calculated the electricity usage of a
typical single family in their home for one year, and the associated
savings with moving to an energy-efficient lifestyle. The cumulative
results predict a 60 percent reduction in energy costs and more than
9,000 kg of CO2 (a 55 percent reduction) saved. If every home
in the U.S. were to implement these energy-saving technologies, it
would be the equivalent of taking all the homes in California, New York
and Texas – 32 million homes – off the power grid.
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