BASF - Saving energy: the energy source of the future

Homeowners can save energy, and costs and reduce CO2 emissions by choosing the right thermal insulation and using innovative building materials. This was the conclusion of a study conducted for BASF Aktiengesellschaft by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany. Using a model building, the researchers examined the impact of BASF products such as the thermal insulation materials Neopor®, Styrodur® C and Elastopor® H and the phase-change material Micronal® PCM on the energy balance of buildings in various climate zones. The climate data of six European cities were fed into the computer simulation. And whether Warsaw, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome or Seville – whatever the climate, the passive house experts came to the same conclusion: homeowners can avoid damaging the atmosphere and save energy costs at the same time by improving thermal insulation. Improving insulation from the minimum energy performance of an old building to the level of a low-energy house would reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Germany and comparable climates by an annual 70 to 75 percent.
“At today’s energy prices, homeowners in Paris, London or Frankfurt who use the right thermal insulation can save €15,000 to €17,000 in 50 years. And in Warsaw, according to our study, savings of up to €22,000 are possible. And this already takes interest costs into account,” said physicist Jürgen Schnieders of the Passive House Institute, explaining the results of the study. The costs of the additional thermal insulation pay off after four to eight years. As expected, the impact of effective thermal insulation is highest in a northern European climate. “But even in southern Europe families can save energy costs in winter,” Schnieders added.
Low-energy houses and advice from BASF
Dr. Daniela Origgi, responsible for Marketing Support Construction at BASF, adds: “New homes and energy-renovated buildings have already proved that BASF products in different climate zones and different types of buildings are suitable for improving energy efficiency.” Examples include the so-called 3-litre house. These buildings use only three litres of heating oil per square metre living space per year and show what role innovative building materials can play in the renovation of old buildings. In the new home segment, the one-litre house is setting a benchmark: LUWOGE – BASF’s housing company – has built 46 one-litre town houses in Ludwigshafen’s Brunck district.
The expertise is now being transferred to other countries: after being totally renovated, a villa in Fontenay-sous-Bois on the outskirts of Paris now uses only five instead of 40 litres of heating oil per square metre per year. In Rome, BASF gives advice to customers who build three-litre apartment houses. In Slovakia, BASF is helping the government on three projects: making a school and a historic building energy efficient, and building a new multi-family, low-energy building. In each case, BASF is involved in the planning and project work and is providing suitable materials. BASF has also built low-energy houses elsewhere – in South Korea and the United States, for example.
In Europe, LUWOGE consult offers technical and residential expertise on energy-saving construction and renovation. The subsidiary of LUWOGE was founded last year and is providing help for the construction of a row house development in Belgium using BASF products. The company’s current showcase project however is the zero-energy house in Ludwigshafen, an apartment house first built in the 1970s. A sophisticated modernisation plan means that tenants won’t pay a cent in heating costs in the future. In addition, BASF’s insulation specialists have for many years offered their expertise to the extensive training and advisory programme of the German Energy Agency (dena).
In Italy, BASF is passing on its expertise on energy efficient and cost-effective construction via the “E6 sixthenergy” initiative. BASF trains and informs architects, engineers, construction companies and investors on the new European legislation and energy efficient construction methods. “E6 sixthenergy” also offers planning tools and advice on building energy efficient homes based on the new standards.
Innovative Products from BASF
The products that make these energy savings possible are called Neopor®, Styrodur® C, Elastopor® and Micronal® PCM. Neopor® is a foamable plastic in granule form that BASF uses to make thermal insulation panels for walls and roofs. The granules contain a special graphite that reflects heat radiation like a mirror and thus prevents the loss of heat. This means Neopor® achieves the same level of insulation as Styropor® (EPS) using much less material. Styrodur® C is a particularly compression and moisture resistant rigid foam made of polystyrene for insulating basements against cold, moisture or pressure from the soil. It is free of ozone-depleting CFCs, HCFCs and HCFs and is foamed with carbon dioxide. The Elastopor® H spray foam system is used for sealing and insulating roofs. The polyurethane-based rigid foam is produced by mixing two initially liquid components and provides reliable thermal insulation for roofs even after several decades.
Whereas insulating materials in buildings ensure that as little heat as possible gets lost during winter heating, Micronal® PCM phase-change materials in the model building’s interior walls ensure additional temperature control: the latent heat storers – microscopically small plastic capsules – contain a wax storage medium at their core. If the room temperature rises, the wax inside the microcapsules melts and absorbs the excess heat. If it falls, the wax becomes solid and the capsules release their heat again. In this way, Micronal® PCM helps to absorb temperature peaks. Demand for primary energy sources such as oil and natural gas will fall by 15 to 32 percent depending on the climate. Costs for air conditioners or heaters are lower or are eliminated completely.

Email: chris.wilson@basf.com