Asia Pacific

China's focus on improving energy conservation in public and private construction was the subject of a recent forum attended by more than 500 experts including Dow Building Solutions, which was selected for two major Chinese national construction industry awards.

The 2007 Annual Forum on Energy Conservation of Construction in China held in Beijing on January 13 was jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Construction's Science & Technology Committee and Science & Technology Development Promotion Center and organized by Construction Science and Technology Magazine.

Dow was recognized as one of 'China's Most Influential Enterprises for Energy Efficiency of Construction in 2007', and also selected as one of the 'Top 10 External Wall Insulation Enterprise' and 'The Top 10 Global Brands'.

"We are very honored to receive these prestigious rewards and for the recognition they show. As a world leading building energy efficiency solution provider, Dow values the development of China market and is working hard to address our customer's needs. Dow is not only bringing products and systems, such as Styrofoam™ to China, but as a company, we are also partnering with major organizations such as Berkeley National Laboratory of America (LBNI) and China's Energy Research Institute (ERI) to leverage other world class technologies into China to address a variety of energy efficiency needs." said Neil Ryan, Business Development Director of Dow Building Solutions Asia Pacific.

The Forum included representatives from central government, administrative departments for construction nationwide, research institutions and enterprises to discuss development strategies for energy conservation of construction. Mr. Song Chunhua, former Vice Minister of Construction, President of Architectural Society of China and President of China Real Estate Association, and Mr. Jiang Yi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, were the main speakers for the Forum's 2007 Annual Policy Report & Annual Science & Technology Report on Energy Conservation of Construction in China.

Hot topics discussed at the Forum included the development of external wall insulation technologies and energy conservation technologies for enclosed structures; energy conservation management and technology development for government and large-scale public buildings; and the development of large-scale application technologies for renewable energy construction. Speakers included Dow Building Solutions' China Marketing Manager Mr. Chen Daowei and Sales Manager Mr. Yan Ji, sharing the company's world-leading ideas and technology of energy conservation of construction.

Dow's Styrofoam™ Insulation Boards are widely used globally in 21 million buildings around the world, saving some $9 billion worth of energy each year. Typical projects in China include ShengShi Qian Tang, the Ministry of Construction's demonstration project for energy conservation in buildings at Hangzhou, apartments for athletes at the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai's World Financial Centre, and the Vanke Rancho Santa Fe Villa at Shenyang.