BASF Opens Its Near-Zero Energy Home in Paterson, N.J.
April 26 2006 - 1:08PM
PR Newswire (US)
Model home for affordable, durable housing is 80 percent more
energy efficient PATERSON, N.J., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
BASF today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate its
Near-Zero Energy Home in Paterson, N.J. The demonstration home is
80 percent more energy efficient, more durable and faster to
construct than conventionally built homes. BASF, along with more
than 150 of its customers and strategic allies, built the Near-Zero
Energy Home-Paterson, N.J., to exemplify how BASF chemistry helps
further energy-saving, durable, sustainable and affordable building
practices. The project is designed to achieve a 95.5 HERS ENERGY
STAR(R) score, an unprecedented accomplishment in New Jersey Star
ENERGY STAR history, and is a prototype for the U.S. Green Building
Council's newly launched rating system for the energy efficiency
and environmental impact of homes. The Near-Zero Energy
Home-Paterson, N.J., will be the site for a number of seminars and
tours to architects, builders, government officials, homeowners,
realtors, financial institutions and other interested parties
throughout the summer of 2006. Once the demonstration phases are
completed, the home will be donated to St. Michael's Housing
Corporation. This organization will then turn over the home to a
local family with a quadriplegic boy to occupy. As such, the
project is also designed to showcase elements of accessible design.
Key participants at the dedication ceremony were Klaus Peter Lobbe,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation; Jeanne M.
Fox, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Jose
"Joey" Torres, Mayor of Paterson, N.J.; David Rodgers, U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE); and Diane Johnson, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). "We have constructed this home
in order to inspire homeowners, builders and architects locally, as
well as nationally," said Lobbe. "We want them to know that
sustainable, energy-efficient and disaster-resistant homes are not
a concept of the future, but a reality today. Homes based on the
technologies demonstrated here are accessible to real people at
affordable prices." Lobbe explained that this project is part of
BASF's international Better Home, Better Planet Initiative aimed at
creating similar models of excellence in building and construction
worldwide. "Today, from here in Paterson, N.J., we are extending
the reach of BASF's Better Home, Better Planet Initiative. We have
partnered with the United Nations to provide similar technologies
for tsunami relief projects in Sri Lanka and India, and are working
in the U.S. Gulf Coast region to provide energy-saving,
disaster-resistant buildings to replace those lost in
hurricane-ravaged areas." Environmental futurist and architect,
William McDonough has specified BASF chemistry to help him with his
biggest project yet: China. Contracted by the China Housing
Industry Association, McDonough has been charged with overseeing
the design of seven brand-new cradle-to-cradle cities with enough
housing for 400 million people. In the next 12 years, many of these
homes will be built using the basic BASF technologies featured in
the Near-Zero Energy Home to help China achieve a reduction of
energy use by 65 percent by the year 2020. Strategic allies of the
BASF Better Home, Better Planet Initiative: Near-Zero Energy
Home-Paterson, N.J., include: Chrisner Group; City of Paterson;
Environmental Design + Construction; GRAD Associates; Green
Ideas(TM); Insulspan; KBI Contractors; MBDC; New Jersey ENERGY
STAR(R) Program; American Polysteel; St. Michael Housing Authority;
Steven Winter and Associates; Sustainable Buildings Industry
Council; New Jersey Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council;
U.S. Housing and Urban Development's PATH Program and the U.S.
Department of Energy. More information can be found at
http://www.betterhomebetterplanet.com/. BASF - The Chemical
Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot
of the products you buy better.(R) BASF Corporation, headquartered
in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG,
Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF employs about 10,000 people in North
America and had sales of approximately $11.3 billion in 2005. For
more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign
up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit
http://www.basf.com/usa. As the world's leading chemical company,
BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance
products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and
natural gas. BASF's intelligent system solutions and high-value
products help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops
new technologies and uses them to open up additional market
opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental
protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better
future. In 2005, BASF had approximately 81,000 employees and posted
sales of more than $50.4 billion. BASF shares are traded on the
stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF),
and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the
Internet at http://www.basf.com/. DATASOURCE: BASF CONTACT: David
A. Elliott of BASF, +1-734-324-6148, ; or Mary MacLeod,
+1-207-712-5606, , for BASF Web site: http://www.basf.com/
http://www.basf.com/usa http://www.betterhomebetterplanet.com/
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