Clayton, the largest builder of manufactured homes in the U.S., has announced its intent to install heat pump water heaters (HPWH) in almost all the homes it will build in the coming year. This decision is part of the company’s eBuilt initiative to have nearly all its homes meet Energy Star and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) certification standards. Clayton claims that eBuilt homes will save homeowners up to 50 percent on their energy bills.

The builder is partnering with HPWH manufacturer Rheem. Every new Clayton home has the Rheem ProTerra hybrid electric heat pump water heater or the dual element water heater. The hybrid electric model comes with Rheem’s EcoNet Wi-Fi technology and mobile app, which allow homeowners to adjust water temperature, track energy use, and set vacation mode remotely. They can also receive maintenance and care alerts.

Other smart-home features in Clayton homes include ecobee Smart Thermostats, heat pumps, and solar readiness. The company claims that 96 percent of the homes it builds are now to eBuilt standard, which Clayton first implemented in May 2023. To date, the company has constructed more than 15,000 eBuilt homes, which would represent a significant percentage of the total HPWH market. According to Energy Star, 141,000 HPWH were sold in the U.S. in 2022, the last year for which data is available.