Covestro Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Critical Part of NextGen Net Zero/Healthy Home

SPRING, TX – January 7, 2016– The NextGen Net-Zero/Healthy Home 2016 will demonstrate big efficiency building practices and products bundled in a tiny living space. Covestro LLC – formerly Bayer MaterialScience LLC – is a proud sponsor of the NextGen Net-Zero/Healthy Home, to be unveiled at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas in January 2016. The home is built to achieve net-zero energy usage and is a showcase for products that improve indoor air quality and whole house water quality. The “tiny home” concept harnesses the current interest in living large within a smaller home footprint. Covestro will donate Bayseal® Closed-cell (CCX) SPF insulation and Bayblock® elastomeric coating for the home. USI, a Covestro-accredited contractor, will be responsible for installation.

At less than 450 square feet, the NextGen Net-Zero/Healthy Home will be a whopping 1,700 square feet smaller than the average home built in the U.S. in 2014. A hybrid insulation system of polyiso board, Bayseal® CCX, plywood and Bayblock® coating helps prevent air leakage. The home is net-zero energy usage with the addition of photovoltaic panels. The Bayblock® coating, a fluid-applied membrane, meets EnergyStar reflectance criteria and creates a continuous, seamless coating around the entire home. Bayblock® is a 100% acrylic coating, making it weatherproof and highly resistant to UV-degradation. It becomes fully adhered when applied and has neglibible volatile organic compound (VOC) content.

The unique pod shape of the home is reflective of the builder’s interest in boat building, and it makes the home more resilient against weather events. Jim Gregory of Shelter Dynamics is responsible for design and construction oversight. His goal with such energy efficient pod homes is to create next generation housing.

“It’s important to consider the estimated long term costs of ownership for buyers,” Gregory explains. “Typically we think of the monthly mortgage payment, but utilities, insurance, taxes, and maintenance all carry price tags. We talk about sustainability in terms of how we use resources and energy, but there is more to it than that. Our common goal should be to reduce our impact on the home we call earth, as well as be good neighbors to those we share it with. Thus real sustainability should indicate a balance in all areas, and if successful, we reduce the monthly "price" we all share.”

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Shelter Dynamics estimates starting prices on similar pod homes will be $120,000 - $140,000. The NextGen Net-Zero/Healthy home model will allow people to own a small home rather than rent. If running at net zero energy usage, homeowners will realize substantial savings over time.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us, to be part of a showcase home that will exemplify two of the biggest trends in homebuilding today – efficient and small. Energy efficiency is the outcome of a home designed to be smart, to work as an integrated system rather than many separate components. Covestro insulation products help optimize the whole system,” says Jeremy Parker, national sales manager for Covestro spray insulation and roofing systems.

The home will be open for tours at IBS 2016 in Las Vegas, January 19-21. Covestro will be located in booth #C6847 in the central exhibit hall.

About Covestro LLC: Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business. Covestro manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. The Covestro group has 30 production sites around the globe and employed approximately 15,700 people at the end of September 2015.
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Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s and Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Covestro website at http://www.covestro.com as well as on the Bayer website at http://www.bayer.com. Covestro and Bayer assume no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.