CE Pro January 2023 - 12

Wellscapes
HEALTHFUL LIGHTING | AIR | WATER | SOUNDS | ECOSYSTEMS
KB Home to Develop
All-Electric,
Solar & Battery
Fueled Microgrid
Communities
First all-electric neighborhoods from the
builder to feature Schneider Electric and
SunPower technologies and be certified
as DOE-designated Zero Energy Ready
Homes. By Arlen Schweiger
PRODUCTION HOMEBUILDER
KB Home has
been at the forefront of
implementing energy- and
wellness-friendly construction,
and two new communities
in California embody the
latest trends. KB Home has
announced it has launched
the first all-electric, solar-
and battery-powered,
microgrid communities in
California.
The homebuilder has
partnered with the U.S.
Department of Energy
(DOE), SunPower Corp., the
Advanced Power and Energy
Program at the University of
California, Irvine, Southern
California Edison, Schneider
Electric and Kia to test the
energy-efficient and healthy
new homes located at the
Oak Shade and Durango
communities within its
Shadow Mountain master
plan in Menifee, Calif.
Every new KB ener12
| CE Pro January 2023
gy-smart connected home
at these communities will
be equipped with smart
technologies and a backup
battery, plus community
microgrid connectivity. The
features are designed to
work together to provide
a self-supporting energy
system that powers a
specific neighborhood with
a community battery and
has the capability to operate
independently during a grid
outage, the builder explains.
Benefits include:
Reduced Energy Usage:
Innovative technology, coupled
with advanced home
design and certifications,
enable homeowners to decrease
energy usage by 40%,
while potentially lowering
energy costs.
Essential Protection:
Homeowners can switch to
battery energy use in case
of an outage and disconnect
from the grid to help mainThe
infrastructure is designed to provide a community
battery and has the capability to operate independently
during a grid outage.
tain the home's essential
energy functions continue
to operate for a certain
period of time.
EV Charger Ready: All
homes will be wired to be
smart charger ready. Some
homes in the communities
will be testing bidirectional
electric vehicle (EV) chargers,
which, during a power
outage, enables the EV to
be another source of energy.
Real-Time Monitoring:
Owners will enjoy the convenience
of app-based monitoring
and control to easily
customize and track their
energy usage and storage.
Less Environmental
Impact: These home and
community features in
combination can help lower
homebuyers' carbon footprint
and conserve precious
natural resources.
Trusted Certifications:
Every energy-smart connected
home will be certified
as a DOE-designated
Zero Energy Ready Home
(ZERH), reflecting a high
level of performance with
rigorous requirements that
build on the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA)
ENERGY STAR, WaterSense
and Indoor airPLUS programs,
and will be verified by
a qualified third party.
" Working with industry
and academic leaders, we
plan to explore how these
energy-smart connected
communities can help protect
the environment and
turn our homes into their
own power centers designed
to deliver resiliency while
also reducing the overall
cost of long-term homeownership, "
says Jeffrey
Mezger, KB Home chairman,
president and CEO.
KB Home notes that it
was the first builder to make
every home it builds ENERGY
STAR certified and has
constructed over 160,000
ENERGY STAR certified new
homes since 2000, more
than any other builder.
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CE Pro January 2023

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