KB Home, a home building company in the United States, said it is now offering solar-powered homes to home buyers in Arizona.
The Energy Star certified new KB homes will help KB homeowners reduce their monthly energy bills as much as 80 percent when compared to a typical resale home, and lower their overall cost of home ownership for years to come.
Solar power is already available at select KB Home communities in California, Colorado, Nevada and Texas, and KB Home estimates that the more than 2,200 solar KB homes built to date collectively help save their owners more than $1.5 million each year on electricity bills and offset the annual greenhouse gas emissions from over 1,200 passenger vehicles.
KB Home estimates that at current residential electrical rates, a 3-kilowatt high-efficiency photovoltaic system provided by SunPower and installed on a 2,768 square foot ENERGY STAR certified home at its Alcantara Villas community in Phoenix would yield average energy savings of $216 per month, or approximately $25,000 over ten years, compared to a typical resale home without these features.
Additionally, home shoppers who choose to incorporate solar in their home may also qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit and $1,000 from the state of Arizona, the company said.
“There is no better time to purchase a solar system than when the home is being built,” said Matt Brost, director of sales at SunPower. “Savvy homebuyers today understand the return on investment that a high-quality, solar-powered new home delivers. Solar is a great complement to the energy-efficient features KB Home offers, particularly in sunny Arizona.”
KB homeowners will be able to watch in real time as their solar panels work to lower their home’s energy usage with a Wiser home management system, a ‘smart home’ technology that KB Home includes in all of its new homes to help homeowners track their energy consumption.
The standard system can be enhanced with additional technology that gives homeowners the power to control their home’s lighting, thermostat and security functions with the click of a button.
The KB homes are designed with advanced energy- and water-conserving features that make them some of the most efficient available today. Features like programmable thermostats, low-E windows and WaterSense labeled faucets and fixtures all contribute to the award-winning energy and water performance KB Home is proud to provide its customers.