Bayer MaterialScience Continues Commitment to Sustainable Development
Pittsburgh, May 2010 — There’s a new addition to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s headquarters campus in suburban Pittsburgh: Today, the company officially unveiled its EcoCommercial Building Conference Center. This solar-powered, net-zero-energy, net-zero-emissions facility will serve as a showcase and education center for sustainable building solutions, as well as a working center for evaluating new sustainable construction materials and technologies.
The 800-square-foot EcoCommercial Building Conference Center was originally designed and constructed by Penn State University students as a residential housing concept for the U.S. Department of Energy 2009 Solar Decathlon competition in Washington, D.C., under the name “Natural Fusion.” The Solar Decathlon is a biannual international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to inspire university students and faculty to design, build and operate an entirely solar-powered house. The Bayer USA Foundation donated $10,000 while Bayer MaterialScience LLC made in-kind donations of raw materials to support the Penn State project, and its experts provided guidance throughout the project including initial design, prototyping, testing and construction.
“Today’s dedication and opening of the Conference Center marks an important milestone for our EcoCommercial Building Program in North America,” said Paul Platte, head, EcoCommercial Building Program, NAFTA, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “The facility will showcase many innovative, sustainable building product solutions providing energy and emissions reductions … solutions that are made possible by the use of Bayer MaterialScience products and technologies.”
Bayer MaterialScience’s North American EcoCommercial Building Program (ECB) was launched April 26, 2010, and advocates a holistic, collaborative approach to sustainable building design and construction. Network member organizations provide products and/or services aligned with seven building solution areas (Insulation; Daylighting; Illumination; Indoor Environmental Quality; Sustainable Energy; Intelligent Building; and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) that help to increase sustainability and reduce energy costs.
“By leveraging the diverse expertise of our network members, the EcoCommercial Building Program provides the ecological and economic solutions sought by building decision makers up and down the value chain,” Platte explains.
“We are delighted that just one month after launching this program in North America, we’ve already built up a robust network of organizations that are contributing to the program, and we expect to announce more members soon,” Platte continued. “We believe our success so far is a strong indication of the market need for the program’s holistic approach to sustainable building.”
Inaugural members of the ECB Network include professional services firm, Deloitte LLP; electrical solutions leader, Eaton Corporation; window manufacturer, Graham Architectural Products; architectural design firm, IDC Architects; Bayer Technology Services; and the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics of Carnegie Mellon University.
The foundation for Bayer MaterialScience’s global EcoCommercial Building initiative is the Bayer Climate Program, a worldwide effort that demonstrates a commitment to sustainable development – balancing economic, ecological and social priorities while advancing “Science for a Better Life” through Bayer products and innovation efforts.
To date, Bayer MaterialScience currently has four EcoCommercial Building showcase projects. In addition to the Conference Center in Pittsburgh, the other facilities are an operational children’s day care center for employees of Bayer CropScience in Germany, an operational Bayer administration building in Belgium, and an office building under construction in India.
Bayer has long demonstrated its commitment to the environment. As an example, Bayer AG was the first company to forge a long-term partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the late 1990s. The partners have organized environmental projects around the world. In addition, Bayer Corporation supports UNEP’s June 5, 2010, World Environment Day activities in North America. Further information on the partnership is available on the Internet at: www.unep.bayer.com.
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.
Contact:
Sean Kelly, Phone: 412-777-5200
E-mail: sean.kelly@bayerbms.com
For more information about Bayer MaterialScience, call 1-800-662-2927, e-mail naftainfo@bayerbms.com or visit www.bayermaterialsciencenafta.com.
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