KB Home announced this week that it will build all local San Antonio homes under the Build San Antonio Green program starting in December, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
It's the second national builder to join the program and the second volume builder to do so, a sign that green building is reaching widespread market acceptance and affordability in San Antonio.
Anita Devora, executive director of Build San Antonio Green, called KB's participation in the program a turning point in the market for new homes.
"My hope is that it's going to open the floodgates," she said. "It's going to become the standard."
Ken Langston, president of KB Home's Central Texas division, said it has been building all its homes to Energy Star standards since 2006 and that this more stringent program is the next logical step for the company.
Energy Star homes are 15 percent more efficient than what's required under the 2004 International Building Code, and homes certified under Build San Antonio Green's Level 1 certification are even more so. Under the Build San Antonio Green program, homes must achieve Energy Star and use materials such as paints and carpets with low levels of volatile organic compounds, to improve indoor air quality. KB homeowners will be able to choose various energy-efficient and green options, including solar panels, to take their homes a step further.
Last year, Miami-based Lennar Homes became the first national builder in San Antonio to commit to having all its local homes certified under the program. San Antonio-based volume builder Imagine Homes long has been building its homes under the program.
For more information, see our Building a Green Home research center.
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