Greater Noida, India – Bayer has inaugurated its first emissions-neutral office building in Asia as part of its Group-wide sustainability program. Bayer MaterialScience’s new building in Greater Noida, near New Delhi, India, which draws 100 percent of its electricity from a photovoltaic plant, needs some 50 percent less power than comparable buildings in the region. It is a further reference project for Bayer’s EcoCommercial Building (ECB) Program, a specialist global network for sustainable construction.
“Our new office building represents the link between innovation and sustainability,” said Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, the member of the Bayer AG Board of Management responsible for Innovation, Technology and Environment and for the Asia-Pacific region. “We want to use our skills and products in the field of high-quality materials to boost energy efficiency in buildings, as this approach offers enormous potential for cutting CO2 emissions.”
Energy consumption in buildings is responsible for around 30 percent of CO2emissions. “That is why we will continue to expand the EcoCommercial Building Program as part of our sustainability strategy – both in Asia and worldwide.”
Bayer has previously built a climate-neutral company child daycare center at its Monheim site in Germany and an energy-optimized office building in Belgium. These projects show that approaches such as combining efficient insulation with renewable energies can help to dramatically reduce a building’s energy consumption and, therefore, it’s CO2emissions.
The EcoCommercial Building in India, which Bayer built in conjunction with local companies, shows that the concept is also applicable in sub-tropical climates. While in the temperate European climate zone, building insulation is primarily used to protect against cold, its fore-most purpose in countries such as India is to protect against heat. Foams based on high-quality materials from Bayer MaterialScience perform both tasks with exceptional efficiency.
The new office cost around EUR 5 million to build. It is part of an investment package that Bayer has been implementing at the Greater Noida site. This also includes a new color competence and design center for polycarbonates and Bayer MaterialScience’s existing systems house. In total, Bayer has invested around EUR 26 million in these projects.
“Our EcoCommercial Building Program has created an unrivalled interdisciplinary network for sustainable construction,” said Patrick Thomas, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer MaterialScience. “Our materials and know-how in this field facilitate the development of solutions that are energy-efficient and therefore cost-effective.”
He added that the new building in Greater Noida underlined the importance of India as a location for Bayer Material Science. “This country is one of the most rapidly growing markets in Asia, which is why it is essential that we have a local presence.”
About Bayer MaterialScience
Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics. Its innovative developments in coatings, adhesives, insulating materials and sealants, polycarbonates and polyurethanes significantly enhance the quality of our lives.
Source: Bayer Press Release dated January 21, 2011.
