Bayer Material Science – another facet of innovative brand

In 2007 MaterialScience branch of Bayer group of companies developed a concept of an eco-commercial building, which was later transformed into a separate Eco-Commercial Building project (ECB).

The ECB is based on developing a partnership network of specialized suppliers, designers, architects and developers. The project is aimed on raising awareness and influencing decision makers in construction industry. The project focuses on public and administrative buildings that have often been neglected, but that have a huge potential for energy saving. Acting as an intermediary and contact agent Bayer MaterialScience uses its experience and its own hi-tech products to transform usual buildings into energy efficient and zero waste ones.

This innovative business model was preceded by the decision by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on cutting CO2 emissions in buildings use by 29% by 2020 without increasing buildings’ final costs.

First, Bayer is using eco-commercial building concept for its own purposes. For example, when building Bayer’s office block in the city of Digem (Belgium) major importance was attached to energy efficiency. Thanks to the choice of the optimum construction technique energy consumption in the building was halved. This successfully implemented concept was awarded the prize of the Belgian government in architecture and energy in October 2009.

The first in the world eco-commercial building belonging to Bayer with almost zero waste heat emission was the kindergarten, which is a part of CropScience, Bayer’s branch situated in the city of Monheim. The required amount of energy is produced with no heat loss. In addition to that, the building is very well insulated.

Bayer Material Science`s energy efficiency recipe:

• Integrated design – suppliers included on the first stage
• Efficient supply chain
• Isolation of walls and floor
• 3 layer windows for passive in-house glazing
• Efficient lighting
• Use of renewables – solar panels
• return on investment – 8 years

The kindergarten was awarded the Energy efficient building 2009 prize of the Federal ministry of economy and was named one of the 10 model projects.

In the city of Great Noida, situated in the vicinity of India’s capital New Deli, an office block is being built, which will save up to 70% of energy compared to the similar buildings. It is planned to finish the construction by September 2010.

Bayer MaterialScience uses complex design that enables to consider the local climate and energy requirements of a given building. Thus, projects can be adjusted for different climate zones.

Under the energy efficiency framework Bayer MaterialScience together with Bayer Technology Services and Bayer Business Services developed a new technology for measuring and programme-system control that helps save up to 10% of energy at production facilities. Bayer MaterialScience is planning to be using this technology at 60 energy intensive facilities around the world by 2012.

By implementing this system Bayer MaterialScience is setting new standards for the industry, according to the auditors DQS (Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen / German society for certification of program-system control systems), governed by the EEG law requirements (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz / Law on renewable energy). Control system was named STRUCTese and became a part of the environmental protection programme, under which Bayer MaterialScience is planning to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions at their plants around the world by 25% (per ton of end product) by 2020.