KB Home continues national roll-out of net-zero energy production homes with opening of ZeroHouse 2.0 in Lake Forest, California, says home could save US$250/month on utility bills

Wendy Lisney

LAKE FOREST, California , December 20, 2011 (press release) – Net-zero energy KB homes in Lake Forest could save consumers over $250 a month on utility bills

KB Home (NYSE:KBH) unveiled one of the first net-zero energy production homes in California during a special event held today at its Whisler Ridge community in Lake Forest. At the event, the national homebuilder and Lake Forest Mayor Peter Herzog hosted a group of area school children for a morning of education, games and a guided tour of the innovative new home, dubbed ZeroHouse 2.0.

The offering of the ZeroHouse 2.0 in Lake Forest continues a national rollout of the net-zero energy homes that KB Home started earlier this fall, with Orange County and homebuyers throughout Southern California now being able to choose a KB home that may eliminate their monthly electricity charges entirely.

"To be able to open up your bill from the power company and have it be close to nothing is a great feeling. And ZeroHouse 2.0 is something you can only get at KB home," said Steve Ruffner, president of KB Home's Southern California division. "We are dedicated to offering our homebuyers incredible value in the form of a well-built, smartly-designed, energy-efficient new home. Our new ZeroHouse 2.0 offering is just one more way we are expanding that commitment to our customers."

KB Home recently announced that solar power systems are now a standard feature of homes at 29 of its communities in Southern California, and it builds 100% of its new homes to the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR® qualification. All homes at Whisler Ridge include as standard a 1.8 kWp solar power system, which can reduce homeowners' energy bills by as much as 40% compared to a typical new home built to California's Title 24 standards. The ZeroHouse 2.0 uses additional energy-efficient features and an optional 6.75 kWp solar power system.

"We are so pleased that KB Home chose to build its first net-zero energy home in the state here in Lake Forest. What a fantastic way to put our community on the map and lead the way forward with a company that understands the value in ‘going green' for our residents," said Mayor Herzog.

During this morning's special event, students from nearby Serrano Intermediate School learned first-hand how much money can be saved by living in an energy-efficient home like KB Home's ZeroHouse 2.0. A veritable "storm" of money, representing the over $250 saved monthly by a ZeroHouse 2.0 as designed when compared to a typical resale home, rained down on the children as a vivid demonstration of a valuable lesson. KB Home announced that it would donate a year's worth of those savings to the school.

With the introduction of ZeroHouse 2.0 to Southern California, homebuyers may be able to eliminate their monthly electricity charges entirely if they incorporate the ZeroHouse 2.0 energy efficiency options into their home at the KB Home Studio, some of which are visible and some hidden behind the walls. The higher efficiency of the ZeroHouse 2.0 is the result of a whole-home approach, from the inside out, that begins with increased insulation, upgraded HVAC systems and dual-pane, low-e windows and ends with solar panels on the roof.

KB Home's ENERGY STAR qualified home designs, as well as ZeroHouse 2.0 efficiency options, are available at all of KB Home's communities throughout Southern California. To learn more, and locate a community near you, visit kbhome.com or call 888-KB-HOMES.

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 a 2010 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.

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