Centex Energy Advantage homes up to 40% more efficient than typical 10-year-old home

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Centex Corporation (NYSE: CTX) today announced that construction is under way on Centex Energy Advantage homes across the Charlotte area. Collectively, the first group of Centex Energy Advantage homes now in progress are projected to avoid approximately 25 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the first year of occupancy.

Centex Energy Advantage is now available in all to-be-built homes ordered from Centex. Homes equipped with these new standard features are now under construction in eight Centex neighborhoods across the Charlotte area. Charlotte's first Centex Energy Advantage home, located in the Willow Creek neighborhood in Gaston County, is scheduled for delivery in April. Please visit any Centex neighborhood sales office for more information or see centex.com/energyadvantage.asp and centex.com/charlotte/ for details about homes and prices.(1)

"The cost of owning a home is top of mind for homebuyers today. Centex Energy Advantage addresses affordability by equipping homeowners to operate their homes more efficiently with greater control over energy use," said Ronny Salameh, division president for Centex Homes inNorth Carolina.

"Centex Energy Advantage is the nation's most comprehensive suite of efficiency features, included as standard at no extra cost," Mr. Salameh said. "But a homeowner would spend thousands of dollars in after-market costs for these upgrades on their own. Considering the reduced greenhouse gas emissions over time, these homes are good for the whole community, not just their owners."

Centex Energy Advantage homes are up to 22 percent more efficient than comparable new homes built to the most widely used energy efficiency code (the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code), according to a study commissioned with the NAHB Research Center. When compared to 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.(2)

According to the NABH Research Center, each Centex Energy Advantage home avoids 1.78 fewer metric tons of carbon per year than a comparable new home. That's roughly the same as the greenhouse gas emissions from the family automobile over four months or the CO2 emissions from about 183 gallons of gasoline consumed.(3)

Features of the Centex Energy Advantage standard package in the Charlotte area include: (4)


    --  Energy monitor: real-time information about electricity usage and
        expense can lead to a 4-15 percent reduction in electricity use; (5)
        Centex is the first national homebuilder to announce the installation of
        an energy monitor in every home it builds
    --  Whirlpool or KitchenAid brand ENERGY STAR(R) qualified appliances
    --  Lennox high-efficiency HVAC system(6)
    --  Programmable thermostat(s)
    --  Low-emissivity windows
    --  R-38 insulation and radiant-barrier roof sheathing in the attic
    --  Compact fluorescent lights in high-traffic areas
    --  Information for maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing the impact
        of home operation on the environment.

About Centex

Dallas-based Centex, founded in 1950, is one of the nation's leading home building companies. Its leading brands include Centex Homes, Fox & Jacobs Homes and CityHomes. In addition to its home building operations, Centex also offers mortgage and title services. Centex has ranked among the top three builders on FORTUNE magazine's list of "America's Most Admired Companies" for 10 straight years and is a leader in quality and customer satisfaction.

Editor's notes:


     
    (1) Homes, prices, features and availability are subject to change.
        Homes are subject to prior sale.
    (2) This study evaluated the energy efficiency gains attributable to the
        Centex Energy Advantage features in a variety of single-family floor
        plans typical of the Centex product line in the climate zones where
        the Company currently operates. Not all floor plans, building
        materials or construction techniques were evaluated in the study.
        Efficiency gains will vary for other plan types, building materials,
        construction techniques and change of climate zone.
    (3) Calculations are based on NAHB Research Center estimated efficiency of
        1.78 metric tons of CO2 per home equipped with Centex Energy Advantage
        features, as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
        "Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator" (see www.epa.gov).
    (4) The Centex Energy Advantage will be supplemented or otherwise
        adjusted as required by state and local codes. In several markets,
        Centex is currently building homes with components that exceed the
        combined efficiencies provided by the Centex Energy Advantage.
    (5) Based upon published studies reviewed by the NAHB Research Center.
    (6) 14-SEER air conditioning or 90-percent AFUE furnace, depending upon
        climate zone. SEER is "seasonal energy efficiency ratio," a measure
        of seasonal or annual efficiency of a central air conditioner or
        air-conditioning heat pump that is the average BTUs of cooling
        delivered for every watt-hour of electricity used by the heat pump
        over a cooling season. AFUE is "annual fuel utilization efficiency,"
        a measure of average combustion efficiency in a furnace or heating
        unit.

SOURCE Centex Corporation