BASF / Pepper Viner High-Performance Home Launched

Offers production builders a map for 81% increased energy efficiency

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- BASF, the world's largest chemical
company and Pepper Viner Homes present the Pepper Viner/BASF High-Performance
Home - a model for near-zero energy construction for production builders
nationally. Located in the Tucson, Arizona's Civano North Ridge community, the
test home, which is 81 percent more energy efficient than a typical home, is
currently open for public tours and featured on
www.betterhomebetterplanet.com. But according to Jack Armstrong, Leader of
Building and Construction Markets in North America for BASF, creating a
repeatable and profitable model for mainstream builders is the real success
story.

"When BASF built the award-winning, LEED Platinum BASF Near-Zero Energy Home
in 2005, we asked ourselves, what would it take to make this kind of
high-performance home mainstream?" said Armstrong. "Working with the Pepper
Viner team allowed us to create a repeatable process that will make their
business more competitive and provide a road map to other mainstream builders
as well."

On this project BASF, a global leader in sustainable building products, worked
closely with the Arizona production homebuilder to systemize their sustainable
building procedures through a process called integrated design. That means
each product and system builds upon the last, creating a home that is 81
percent more energy efficient while reducing environmental impacts.

BASF also worked closely with the Pepper Viner team and their sub contractors
to expand their competencies in the areas of product and system installation,
knowledge and procurement as well as quality assurance.

The test home achieves a remarkable rating of 19 out of 150 on the U.S.
Department of Energy's EnergySmart Home Scale®, making it close to being a
net-zero energy home. It is also anticipated that it will achieve a Platinum
score home from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® rating system and was
already awarded the Pima County certification system's top (emerald) rating.
Moreover, the Pepper Viner team is using what they have learned about
integrating high-performance systems and products on other projects.

According to Bill Viner, President of Pepper Viner Homes, "Now, we are able to
take what we've learned from our collaboration with BASF and extend even more
value to our customers. For example, we are able to include many of the energy
savings in our Sunnyside Pointe project in Tucson, Arizona, an affordable
housing initiative slated to start construction next month, and in the La
Posada retirement homes we are planning to build in Green Valley, Nevada in
early 2010."

High Performance Attributes and Systems
Even though the Pepper Viner/BASF High-Performance Home features solar power
for water and space heating, optimizing the building envelope was the first
step to maximizing the energy efficiency of the home. The home was built with
structural insulated panels (SIPS) with BASF Styropor® insulation for the
exterior walls and feature BASF polyurethane spray-applied insulation for both
the underside and outer roof deck.

SIPS, solid, pre-cut, insulated panels that arrive ready to install, form a
solid thermal envelope around the structure substantially reducing air
infiltration compared with conventional construction techniques. Similarly,
the open and closed-cell spray foam used for the roof insulation, provide a
seamless, continuous barrier to prevent uncontrolled air infiltration while
providing some of the best insulating values available. And because the
heating and air-conditioning systems don't have to work so hard, the equipment
can be downsized, reducing initial capital costs and lifetime operating costs.

Not only does the well-sealed building envelope ensure that outdoor allergens
and pollutants are prevented form entering the home, BASF-enhanced low VOC
paints, caulks and sealants were also used in the test home. The durable and
aesthetically pleasing exterior walls feature Senergy® stucco system.

For the home's foundation, the team selected a concrete formulation optimized
with BASF admixtures that not only increased the strength, but also allowed
the overall mixture to contain 40% recycled fly ash. The foundation also
includes an integral color that results in a beautiful, durable and
low-maintenance surface throughout the first floor of the home.

For more information about the Pepper Viner/BASF High-Performance Home, please
visit 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.®

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 and 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 posted sales of
more than euro 62 billion in 2008 and had approximately 97,000 employees as of
the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet
at www.basf.com.

EnergySmart Home Scale is a registered trademark of the Department of Energy

LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council

Styropor® is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation

Synergy® is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation

SOURCE BASF

Bill Pagano, BASF Corporation, +1-973-245-6071, william.pagano@basf.com; or
Mary MacLeod, Maverick Marketing, +1-207-929-4568, mary@mavmarket.com