Net-Zero Energy is Now: Covestro Provides Key Material for Arc House, Featured at 2016 Solar Power International Show

Spring, TX, September 14, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The sun is projected to shine for another five billion years. The payback time for a residential solar panel system now averages 6.9 years (per solar-power-now.com). Covestro LLC will be participating in the upcoming Solar Power International show, demonstrating a tiny, net-zero energy usage home designed by Shelter Dynamics. The home is a showcase of new concepts for efficient building and sustainability. The Arc House will be the central feature in the Smart Energy Microgrid Pavilion at the show, September 12-15, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Arc House totals 432 square feet and can operate off grid with the addition of photovoltaic panels. Covestro donated Bayseal® Closed-cell (CCX) spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation and Bayblockâ elastomeric coating for the home and provided building envelope consulting. USI, a Covestro-accredited contractor, installed the insulation and fluid-applied roofing membrane. Green Builder Media is the official media sponsor of the home.

Jim Gregory, founder of Shelter Dynamics, is responsible for the unique “pod” design of the Arc House.

“I like to say the Arc House is a new direction in home building, because traditional building is not responding to the changing demographics of today’s homeowners,” Gregory explains. “The average size of new homes today is 2,600 square feet. Empty nesters don’t want something that large, and the middle class can no longer afford it, not to mention the cost of ownership. The Arc House is efficient, affordable and beautiful. It makes home ownership feasible for more people.”

Shelter Dynamics estimates starting prices on similar pod homes will be $120,000 to $140,000. Covestro’s involvement with the Arc House project is part of the larger corporate commitment to improve people’s lives and create value, while at the same time conserving resources and protecting the environment. As a part of its sustainability vision, Covestro set a goal to halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2025. It aims to do the same with its energy consumption by 2030.

The Arc House also represents another key component of Covestro’s mission, innovation. Product innovations from Covestro address current trends including climate change, the increasing scarcity of fossil resources, the growing global population, urbanization and increasing mobility. Through projects like Solar Impulse, Covestro is developing new materials and technologies that can be used not only for these noteworthy projects, but can also translate into improvements for everyday life.

“The Shelter Dynamics team isn’t so much building small houses as they are changing the way people think about living. It’s been rewarding to work with Jim and help him build a home that is completely integrated for maximum energy efficiency and sustainability,” says Jeremy Parker, national sales manager – spray insulation and roofing systems, Covestro LLC. “Working with trailblazers like Jim and his team aligns perfectly with the Covestro mission to drive industry innovation through products and technologies that benefit society.”

Covestro representatives will be at the Arc House, located outside in booth SL43, every day during show expo hours. The complete show schedule is available at http://www.solarpowerinternational.com/schedule/.