DALLAS - Centex Corp. has announced the Centex Energy Advantage, a suite of energy-efficient features that will be standard in all Centex homes built nationwide by January 2009.

Centex commissioned the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center to conduct a study modeling the energy efficiency of Centex Energy Advantage-equipped homes. The NAHB Research Center concluded that the Centex homes in the study demonstrated an improvement in energy efficiency of up to 22 percent over comparable homes 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.

A special feature of the Centex Energy Advantage is 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. Based upon the published studies reviewed by the NAHB Research Center, homeowners who use energy monitors to actively manage their consumption of electricity can reduce their electricity use by 4-15 percent. Centex is the first national homebuilder to announce the installation of an energy monitor in every home it builds.

Other features of the Centex Energy Advantage standard package include:

• Lennox high-efficiency HVAC system;

• Programmable thermostat;

• Radiant-barrier roof decking;

• R-38, R-40, or R-60 attic insulation (varies by climate zone); and

• Information for maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing the impact of home operation on the environment.

“With today’s high energy costs, energy efficiency is front and center for homebuyers,” said Tim Eller, chairman and CEO of Centex. “Monthly energy bills are having a growing impact on the budgets of our homebuyers, affecting overall affordability. We wanted to offer our customers - many of them first-time homebuyers - a suite of features that will help them operate their homes efficiently. The Centex Energy Advantage takes aim at energy efficiency in a meaningful way.”

Publication date: 07/21/2008