DEARBORN, Mich. and
SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
- 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
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) 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.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor
Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or
distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 171,000
employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands
include Ford and Lincoln. The
company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit
Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products
worldwide, please visit
http://corporate.ford.com.
About KB Home
KB Home is one of the largest
and most recognized homebuilding companies in the United States. Since its founding in 1957,
the company has built more than half a million quality homes. KB
Home's signature Built to Order™ approach lets each buyer customize
their new home from lot location to floor plan and design features.
In addition to meeting strict ENERGY STAR® guidelines, all KB homes
are highly energy efficient to help lower monthly utility costs for
homeowners, which the company demonstrates with its proprietary KB
Home Energy Performance Guide® (EPG®). A leader in utilizing
state-of-the-art sustainable building practices, KB Home was named
the #1 Green Homebuilder in the most recent study by Calvert
Investments and the #1 Homebuilder on FORTUNE magazine's 2011
World's Most Admired Companies list. Los
Angeles-based KB Home was the first homebuilder listed on
the New York Stock Exchange, and trades under the ticker symbol
"KBH." For more information about KB Home's new home communities,
call 888-KB-HOMES or visit www.kbhome.com.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
