Amy Le

Centex Home Builders Take on a Greener Perspective

In the sprint to attract new buyers, home builders across the country are finding creative incentives to whet consumer appetites. From tax breaks to free homes, developers are promising everything under the sun to win over new customers. But Dallas-based home builder Centex, recent launch of their Energy Advantage package will have their competitors green with envy — literally.

Centex homes in Frisco, TX, are the first in the country to be fitted with the Energy Advantage features.

I recently spoke with Stephen Haines, vice president of sales and marketing with the Centex Houston Division, on the company's recent launch of their Energy Advantage homes and their decision to move in a more environmentally conscious direction.

Centex Energy Advantage homes are shown to be up to 40 percent more energy efficient.

The Energy Advantage features will be standard in all Centex homes built nationwide by January 2009, according to Haines. The initiative is geared towards creating more eco-friendly homes for people looking to significantly cut down their energy cost.

'The true cost of a home really sets in after a family moves into their new place,' Haines says. 'We want to build homes that will offer people the lowest cost of living from the minute they move in.'

Exceeding code standards
Centex commissioned the National Association of Home Builders Research Center to conduct a study modeling the energy efficiency of Centex Energy Advantage-equipped homes. The NAHB Research Center concluded that Centex Energy Advantage homes in the study demonstrated an improvement in energy efficiency of up to 22 percent over comparable homes that are built to the most widely used energy efficiency code, the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.

When compared to the energy efficiency of a typical 10-year-old home (as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program), the Centex Energy Advantage homes in the study were shown to be up to 40 percent more energy efficient.

'There's a lot of things about the green movement that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, but it doesn't mean it will save you a dime,' Haines says. 'Our new features offer our homebuyers cost-effective results and will help them operate their homes more efficiently.'

Energy monitors provide real-time information about electricity usage in the home.

Energy monitor tracks usage
One of the features that Haines described that instantly caught my attention was an in-home energy monitor. Energy monitors provide real-time information about electricity usage and expense and show the effect of turning on and off various electrical components. The monitors are wired to a home's meter. Homeowners who use energy monitors to actively manage their consumption of electricity can reduce their electricity use by 4 to 15 percent. Centex is the first national home builder to announce the installation of this type of energy monitor in every home it builds.

Features of the Energy Advantage standard package include:

• Energy monitor
• Whirlpool or KitchenAid brand Energy Star-qualified appliances
• Lennox high-efficiency HVAC system
• Programmable thermostats
• Low-emissivity windows
• Radiant-barrier roof decking
• R-38, R-40 or R-60 attic insulation (varies by climate zone)
• Compact fluorescent lights in high-traffic areas
• Information for maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing the impact of home operation on the environment

Centex's Energy Advantage features offer home buyers the tools to better monitor their energy usage and improve efficiency. One would expect these additional eco-friendly amenities to impact the cost of a Centex home, but Haines says the company has been able to reduce the cost by making the features standard in every new home they build.

'It would cost thousands of dollars more to add these energy-efficient features in an existing home then to buy one already equipped with them,' Haines says.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.