University Study Quantifies Benefits of Radiant Barrier

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University Study Quantifies Benefits of Radiant Barrier

Side-by-side test revealed 23-degree drop in attic temperatures; improved A/C efficiency

(WORLD-WIRE) DALLAS, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Centex Corporation (NYSE: CTX) and the Energy Center of Appalachian State University (ASU) today announced the results of a case study to measure the benefits of adding radiant barrier in home attics.

Key findings of the study include:

A 23-degree drop in the peak attic temperature occurred in a home outfitted with radiant heat barrier versus a similar home without the barrier;

A 20 percent reduction in the run-time of the air conditioning unit during the seven hours of peak attic temperatures; and

The radiant barrier improved the efficiency of cooled air delivered through the air ducts by 57 percent during this period.

"This particular study showed the installation of a radiant barrier in an attic can make it easier for your air conditioner to do its job in the summer heat," said Jeff Tiller, P.E., Appalachian State University. "That translates to lower electricity usage, which also impacts the carbon footprint of homes."

The study was conducted in the summer of 2008 by an ASU team led by Tiller, chair of the ASU Technology Department, and Bruce Davis, Building Research Scientist at the ASU Energy Center. The study was funded by a U.S. Department of Energy Building America grant provided through the North Carolina Energy Office. The research team utilized two side-by-side, four-bedroom model homes built by Centex Homes in Charlotte, North Carolina. A total of 61 sensors were installed inside and outside of the homes to gather data.

"Radiant barriers are a key feature of our Centex Energy Advantage suite of energy efficiency features," said Clayton Traylor who heads environmental affairs for Centex. "We're very pleased that this study validates the significant energy saving benefits our customers can expect from owning a Centex Energy Advantage home."

"We're pleased to have been able to work with Centex on this project. They strongly believe in the value of research to make decisions that help achieve energy efficiency gains - not just in the building phase of the home, but over its entire operating life," added Bruce Davis.

Centex began building its homes with radiant barrier roof decking in January of 2009 as part of its Centex Energy Advantage suite of energy-efficient features.* Centex sold 2,843 homes in the quarter ended March 31, 2009. Homes with Centex Energy Advantage features have been shown to have an overall energy efficiency gain of up to 22 percent over comparable homes built to the most widely used energy efficiency code, according to the NAHB Research Center.** More information about the Centex Energy Advantage can be found at www.centex.com/EnergyAdvantage.

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, title and insurance 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.

About the Department of Technology and Energy Center at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State has conducted research on energy efficient buildings for the past 16 years. The university's Building Science program, in the Department of Technology, emphasizes cost effective energy efficient buildings in its Construction Management program. Undergraduate and graduate students frequently participate in building-related research projects. In addition, department faculty and staff from the ASU Energy Center conduct the annual North Carolina Energy Star Conference and have recently completed the NC State Energy Plan. For more information, go to www.tec.appstate.edu/building or www.ncenergystar.org.

*By climate zone, as indicated by ENERGY STAR requirements.
**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 Centex 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 climate zone. 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.

EDITORS' NOTE: Jeff Tiller and Bruce Davis are available for interviews on this study and other energy efficiency topics. The complete report, with photos, is available at http://www.tec.appstate.edu/building/research.html.

CONTACT: David Webster of Centex Corporation, +1-214-981-6688, news@centex.com