EPA Recognizes KB Home with 2009 Excellence in ENERGY STAR® Promotion Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named KB Home as a 2009 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award winner for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by building ENERGY STAR qualified homes and educating new home buyers about the value of choosing these homes. KB Home, the only national homebuilder to receive this honor in 2009, will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 31.

KB Home recently announced that all new home communities opening in 2009 and beyond will be built to ENERGY STAR guidelines. These new homes are engineered to heat and cool efficiently, use less energy, and provide substantial savings for homebuyers. ENERGY STAR qualified homes are up to 45% more efficient than homes built as recently as 10 years ago.

“ENERGY STAR is widely recognized as the global standard in energy efficiency, and we are proud to incorporate these guidelines into our new home communities across the country,” said Jeffrey Mezger, president and chief executive officer of KB Home. “KB Home homebuyers truly appreciate the ongoing cost savings and environmental benefits of an ENERGY STAR qualified home. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with ENERGY STAR and raising the bar in building more environmentally friendly homes.”

“By building homes that earn the ENERGY STAR, partners like KB Home are offering consumers the opportunity to save money, get a home that is more comfortable, and help protect the environment,” said Kathleen Hogan, Director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the U.S. EPA.

From 2001 through 2008, KB Home built 58,183 highly energy-efficient homes, including 48,702 ENERGY STAR qualified homes and 9,481 ComfortWise certified homes. According to EPA formulas, these homes reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 150,000 metric tons annually, which is estimated to be equivalent to removing over 28,500 cars from our roads each year - and save our homeowners up to $26 million per year on utility bills.

KB Home’s Built to Order™ approach also makes it possible for homebuyers to incorporate even more environmentally friendly products into their new homes. At the KB Home Studio, KB Home educates buyers on ways to further lower their energy bills and reduce their consumption of natural resources, and assists them in choosing options from the Company’s My Home. My Earth.® program, launched in February 2007. A range of eco-friendly options are offered in four categories – Energy Efficiency, Inside Environment, Water Wise and Sustainable Sources.

In 2008, KB Home became the first major homebuilder to build exclusively with ENERGY STAR qualified appliances in every one of its new homes. ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. By expanding that commitment to building all ENERGY STAR qualified homes in new communities opening in 2009, KB Home took another step toward its stated goal of becoming a leading environmentally friendly national company.

The Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award is given to a variety of organizations in recognition of their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners are selected from more than 12,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

About KB Home

KB Home, one of the nation's leading homebuilders, has delivered hundreds of thousands of quality homes for families since its founding in 1957. The company is distinguished by its Built to Order™ homebuilding approach that puts a custom home experience within reach of its customers at an affordable price. KB Home's award-winning homes and communities meet the needs of first-time homebuyers with flexible designs that also appeal to move-up buyers and active adults. Los Angeles-based KB Home was named the #1 homebuilder on FORTUNE® magazine's 2009 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list for the second year in a row. The company trades under the ticker symbol "KBH," and was the first homebuilder listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information about any of KB Home's new home communities call 888-KB-HOMES or visit www.kbhome.com.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 12,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).