KB Home continues its aim of sustainability with the debut of its second Double ZeroHouse in California. Leveraging its relationships with SunPower, Whirlpool Corporation and Ford, KB Home has upped the ante with its latest Double ZeroHouse 3.0, the first net-zero KB home with renewable energy generation and storage capabilities provided by its partners.
The Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora is designed to achieve net-zero energy usage — the result of a whole-home approach to first reduce the energy load of the home by incorporating advanced features and systems like increased insulation; upgraded HVAC units; high-performance windows; and LED lighting.
High-efficiency SunPower solar panels mounted to the roof are designed to serve the home’s total electricity demand with clean, renewable solar power. Notably, the Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora is among the first KB homes also equipped with energy storage solutions provided by SunPower. The advanced systems extend the solar system’s existing capabilities by storing excess solar power generated during the day for use in the event of a power outage.
The KB home earns its “Double” ZeroHouse title through its dual emphasis on water as well as energy efficiency. The WaterSense® labeled house is equipped with an integrated home water and energy recycling system called the “eWater Recycler,” by Nexus eWater. Combined with the home’s other water-conserving features — including a first-of-its-kind KitchenAid® Architect® Series II water-recycling dishwasher, WaterSense labeled fixtures, and a touchless kitchen faucet — KB Home estimates that the Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora can conserve as much as 70% of the freshwater that would traditionally be used in a typical resale home.
"Our Double ZeroHouse 3.0 demonstrates what is possible when like-minded companies come together with the shared goal of pioneering a more sustainable future — a ‘smarter’ home that is water smart, energy smart, and systems smart,” said Chris Apostolopoulos, president of KB Home’s Bay Area division and regional general manager.
The Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora connects a host of smart home technologies into one intelligent ecosystem, enabling homeowners to control much of their home’s equipment from a smartphone or tablet. The ‘smarter’ Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora incorporates products from Ford’s MyEnergi Lifestyle™ initiative, including the Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid. MyEnergi LifestyleTM shows how a typical American family can significantly reduce their electricity bills and CO2 footprint by integrating today’s smart home appliances, plug-in vehicles and solar energy by using Ford’s proprietary database of utility rates to perform tasks when electricity costs are lower.
With the inclusion of solar technology, together with the home’s other energy- and water-efficient elements, KB Home’s Double ZeroHouse 3.0 at Fiora provides an estimated energy and water savings of up to $4,500 annually compared to a typical resale home.