Since it was established over three years ago, the EcoCommercial Building Program (ECB) initiated by Bayer MaterialScience has proven to be an effective means for developing integrated solutions for energy-efficient building. The network of experts behind it has now grown to nearly 90 partners worldwide.

The program is to be expanded yet again and raised to a significantly more active level as "ECB 2.0": "Until now, we have explained to decision-makers in the building industry what opportunities today's materials already offer them for designing the most energy-efficient buildings possible," says Dr. Thomas Römer, global head of the EcoCommercial Building Program. "In these discussions, we have received valuable information about their additional needs, which can provide impetus for further developments. We now want to use this knowledge in closer collaboration with our network partners to better exploit the business potential of such innovative ideas."

The ECB program, in addition to working out energy-efficient building solutions as before, will now also establish a development network, a kind of "think tank" that brings material manufacturers into direct contact with developers and serves as a platform.

Bayer MaterialScience and ECB network partner Puren develop solar air collector system

One current example is the development of the Bomatherm solar air collector roof insulating system in close collaboration with ECB network partner puren gmbh. In this system, solar power generation is intelligently combined with highly efficient thermal insulation. Both ECB partners recognized a market need early on and are developing a solution that is both sustainable and economical by cleverly combining existing technologies.

The underlying idea is as simple as it is ingenious, and it perfectly fulfills the demand of the market for a low-cost way to use renewable energy while at the same time saving energy with the insulation: The collector on the outside of the roof contains cool air. Through an absorber, energy from the sun is transferred to the air. This works even when sun exposure is relatively minimal. The warm air thus obtained can be used in a variety of ways in the building systems. Under the collector is thermal insulation made from polyurethane rigid foa that forms no thermal bridges.

Novel Makrolon multiwall sheets made of polycarbonate were developed for the air collector. These sheets are transparent to let sunlight pass through and equipped on the underside with a special black-colored coating as the absorber layer. The thermal insulation panels are manufactured by Puren using polyurethane raw materials from Bayer MaterialScience.

The EcoCommercial Program is an integral part of Bayer's global sustainability program.