Foam Insulation Included in High Performance Home - Cool When It’s Hot, Warm When It’s Not

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, November 11, 2009 - BASF's first home constructed from 100 percent Neopor expandable polystyrene (EPS), Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) and Styropor EPS in the sub-slab and hydronic insulation, is located in Tupper Lake, a small community located in the Adirondack State Park area of New York. The entire building envelope utilizes BASF's Neopor and Styropor insulation material -- from the insulated wall systems (ICFs), the roof (SIPs), to the sub-slab and hydronics. Both Neopor EPS and Styropor EPS carry GreenGuard Certifications for Indoor Air Quality, as well as Indoor Air Quality for Schools.

Rich Kraft, owner of Rich Kraft Construction from Tupper Lake, is one of four builders statewide participating in a program funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to construct homes raising awareness for non-traditional building methods and materials to increase energy efficiency and green building practices. This unique home will eventually become his permanent residence, as well as a test platform for research into leading edge technologies for energy-efficient design. The 1,800-square-foot home will be monitored for one-year to evaluate its performance in reference to cost effective, energy-efficient improvements.

Kraft's goal was to build a home using the most innovative materials to improve energy efficiency, durability and sustainability for the future. “The NYSERDA program has enabled me to achieve my passion for building an energy-efficient home that is affordable and appealing,” said Kraft.

Starting at the ground level, BASF's Neopor EPS was used for LOGIX® ICFs for the construction of the home's foundation and walls providing thermal protection for the building and a positive impact to the heating and cooling costs. LOGIX® ICF is the first manufacturer to use Neopor ICFs in the United States.

The building's roof was constructed using the Insulspan® Structural Insulating Panel (SIP) System made with BASF's Neopor EPS insulating material. This construction provides an airtight roof with high R-Value that will reduce heat loss and prevent moisture related issues that commonly arise in wood frame roof systems with cavity insulation. This high performance roof also contributes to a comfortable and even temperature inside the home, both day and night, especially in the warm summer months.

The crucial difference in Neopor EPS is that it contains special graphite particles that reflect thermal radiation like a mirror, thus reducing heat loss. This significantly improves its insulation capacity and gives it a silver-gray color. Neopor out-performs other traditional materials by:

• Energy Savings: More efficient insulating technology means it takes less energy to heat and cool a building to the same degree. In addition to Neopor's greater insulating performance, environmentally friendly Neopor insulating materials do not contain CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs or other halogenated cell gases, setting new standards for insulating efficiency and environmental compatibility.
• Flexibility: Work that requires a reduction in the thickness of insulation materials, for example in retrofit projects, can easily be carried out using insulating boards that are thinner than conventional EPS but can offer the same insulation performance.
• Cost Savings: Working with thinner panels translates to lower construction and installation costs, as well as lower transportation and handling costs.
• Handling: Elimination of sun glare from white panels makes it easier on the eyes for contractors. Insulating boards made from Neopor are quick to lay in any weather and are easy to cut and sand.
• Durability: Neopor rigid foam boards are resistant to mold, mildew and rot and are extremely strong and dimensionally stable. They are vapor-permeable, highly water-resistant and have low moisture absorbency.

"Interest in green building is rapidly increasing, especially in extremely cold and hot areas where energy costs continue to escalate year-over-year," said Andrew Bayley, Business Manager for BASF's Foams business. "Currently, BASF is involved in several projects demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and to help people live, work and play in healthy, green and energy-efficient buildings."

For a press photo, please click here: http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/11-11-09_TupperLake.jpg

Suggested caption: BASF's Neopor® and Styropor® EPS provide durability and energy efficiency over traditional stick construction.

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.®

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has approximately 97,000 employees and posted sales of more than €62 billion in 2008. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

About Insulspan
Located in Blissfield, Mich. and Delta, British Columbia, Insulspan designs and produces pre-cut SIP units that are ready to install as wall, floor or roof components suitable for residential and commercial building applications. Insulspan products are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions with third-party certification provided by Intertek testing services, and the Insulspan quality assurance program is certified ISO 2000:9001. To learn more visit www.insulspan.com.

About LOGIX
LOGIX is the leading ICF in North America. By providing a wall system that is more energy efficient, stronger, more sound resistant and more environmentally sustainable than virtually any other construction method, LOGIX contributes up to 31 LEED-NC points with a single spec and makes it easy to build green.

Only LOGIX offers choice of panel thickness, core thickness, foam type and web type. LOGIX is also the easiest Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system to install, delivering more profit and less pressure to the construction team. For more information about LOGIX, visit www.locixicf.com

GreenGuard is a registered trademark of GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI).
Insulspan is a registered trademark of Plasti-Fab Ltd.
LOGIX is a registered trademark of LOGIX.