Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Industrial - April 24, 2024
KB Home Lowers Emissions, Adds Solar Power
KB Home, a homebuilder, has constructed over 190,000 high-performance ENERGY STAR® certified homes since 2000, saving homeowners an estimated $1.2 billion in utility bills and avoiding 7.4 billion pounds of CO2 emissions.
The company’s 2023 national average Home Energy Rating System® (HERS) Index score was 46, which is 54% more efficient than a typical home built in 2006 and underscores the company's commitment to helping homebuyers lower their utility bills and preserve natural resources.
Every point reduction on the HERS score is equivalent to reducing associated GHG emissions by 0.1 metric tons per home, and the company has used the score as its primary measure of decarbonization. By lowering the average HERS score from 50 in 2020 to a target of 45 by 2025, KB Home expects to reduce the estimated GHG emissions from the use of a KB home build in 2025 by 0.5 metric tons per year, or by 8% compared to a KB home built in 2020.
The company also announced that approximately 90% of its model homes and sales offices in California were powered by solar energy, which reduces the amount of electricity purchased from local utility companies.
To improve the company’s assessment of its embodied carbon footprint (Scope 3, Category 1 Purchased goods and services), KB Home conducted its first informal supplier sustainability survey in 2023.
Suppliers were asked about their use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), documentation of the environmental footprint associated with a product’s life cycle and any product sustainability certifications. The findings showed 62% of respondents had EPDs for the products KB Home purchased from them, providing more insight into the carbon emissions associated with the extraction, processing and manufacturing of their products.
As detailed in the company's 17th Annual Sustainability Report, KB Home will continue to work with its supplier partners and industry experts to study the carbon emissions associated with home construction in order to expand future Scope 3 reporting.
“We believe that a KB home is a better home, one that is more efficient and affordable to operate, and delivers on the enduring promise of the American dream,” said Jeffrey Mezger, KB Home Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “KB Home has a proud history of being a leader in sustainability. For over two decades, we have been building energy- and water-efficient homes and advancing innovation, while also making a positive impact by supporting the attainability and expansion of homeownership.”
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