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Dow products are a key part of solving the climate change challenge.
- We have 36 alternative and renewable energy projects in various stages of development around the world.
- Advances we’re making in alternatives/renewables include soy to polyol, glycerin to PG Renewable, and advanced solar technology.
Through our Dow Corning joint venture, we are already a major raw material provider to the world’s solar industry, but we can do more. The sun delivers a huge amount of energy to the Earth each day, and solar power is clean power with no carbon emissions. However, solar is currently held back by the high costs of materials, fabrication, and installation.
So, at Dow, we are developing the next generation of solar energy collection technology called building integrated photovoltaics – or BIPV.
Today, you build a house and then install the PV system, requiring twice the labor and more materials. By designing the solar materials right into the roofing system, you can produce and install one product that not only provides protection from the elements, but also generates power.
For a more in-depth review of Dow’s philosophies and progress in alternative energy and feedstocks, please see our presentation titled ““What Can Chemists and Chemical Engineers Do about Greenhouse Gases? ”
BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION
- In 2007, we launched Dow’s RENUVA™ Renewable Resource Technology, which uses soybeans to make natural oil-based polyols that can be used to manufacture foams for furniture, carpet and bedding applications that are virtually odor-free. The technology consumes around 60 percent less fossil fuel resources than conventional polyol technology and is greenhouse gas neutral.
- Dow’s Wire and Cable business provides cable insulation and jacketing for wind farm power distribution applications.
- The Dow Epoxy business has introduced a family of products, named AIRSTONE Systems, which is based on epoxy chemistry and technology to make wind farm blades stronger, lighter and easier to manufacture.
