KB Home, a publicly-traded home builder with its headquarters in Los Angeles, this month announced the nationwide roll out of net-zero energy home designs called ZeroHouse 2.0. The standard KB Home with Energy Star certification is built to save homeowners about $1,000 in average annual energy costs, while a ZeroHouse 2.0 design is expected to eliminate monthly electricity charges.
KB Home recently unveiled one of the largest communities of LEED Platinum homes in Playa Vista, California. Called Primera Terra, the community has 52 luxury condos certified to green building standards and each home will have an Energy Performance Guide sticker. These homes are about 40% more efficient than Title 24 standards and could cost as low as $57 per month on heating and cooling.
Buying a home is a big, expensive deal. It’s important that you know what you’re getting. Ideally, prior to purchase, you should know about its performance in at least four categories: energy use, water use, indoor air quality, and building integrity. But, as a nation, we’re not there yet. We’re getting there, though.
