As digital innovation, green power and energy efficiency become increasingly intertwined in our daily lives, it makes sense that manufacturers recognize the growing interconnectedness of their products and the importance of that interconnectedness to the consumer. A group of industry leaders has teamed up 
to show consumers that they get it.


In April, Ford Motor Co. and KB Home announced that products from the MyEnergi Lifestyle initiative will be featured in the homebuilder’s ZeroHouse 2.0 model home in San Marcos, Calif. The partnership is intended to raise awareness of MyEnergi Lifestyle and provide a showcase for its technologies.


ZeroHouse 2.0 displays a whole-home approach to energy efficiency and green power. It includes additional insulation; upgraded HVAC systems; dual-pane, low-emitting windows; roof-­mounted solar panels; and smart appliances that use less electricity and water.


The home also contains a built-in electric vehicle charging station, engineered to charge the vehicle during off-peak hours for maximum cost efficiency. The demonstration home also displays Ford’s C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid vehicle. 


MyEnergi Lifestyle is a collaboration of home appliance, solar power and power management industry companies. In addition to Ford and KB, partners include Eaton, SunPower, Infineon and Nest Labs, the maker of smart thermostats.


Ford, which describes itself as the 
leader of the MyEnergi collaboration, references statistics from the Georgia Institute of Technology that indicate a typical single family can reduce its home energy costs by 60 percent in one year by converting to an energy-efficient lifestyle.