SAN MATEO, CA and FLORHAM PARK, NJ -- (Marketwire) -- 01/24/13 -- BASF Corporation and SolarCity, a leading provider of clean energy, today announced that they have entered into an agreement to offer solar electricity from SolarCity as part of BASF's BEYOND.High Performance(SM) home program.

The BEYOND.High Performance program offered by the Center for Building Excellence at BASF provides consulting, plan reviews and training that enable homebuilders to construct sustainable houses affordably. SolarCity offers clean solar energy at rates lower than utility rates, which allows BASF homebuilder clients and homeowners to save money while achieving net-zero energy usage.

Under the agreement, SolarCity is the preferred partner to provide affordable solar electricity systems to homebuilders that construct houses under BASF's BEYOND.High Performance program.

"Partnering with SolarCity is another example of how BASF is providing the right tools and concepts for homebuilders to construct sustainable houses affordably," said Rick Davenport, Director of Sustainable Construction for BASF in North America.

"As part of the BEYOND.High Performance program, SolarCity can support homebuilders who are committed to building net-zero energy homes. Those homes will offer homeowners substantial energy savings and the convenience of a modern home that runs on a clean, renewable source of energy," said Walter Cuculic, National Manager of Builder Programs, SolarCity.

SolarCity is the leading provider of solar energy for residential solar systems in the U.S. and signs a new customer every five minutes. The SolarCity Homebuilder Partner Program was launched two years ago to incorporate solar in new residential construction and dramatically lower a homeowner's energy costs by allowing them to generate their own clean power. SolarCity's installations for new homebuilder construction grew by more than 350 percent from 2011 to 2012.

With more than 600 technologies in 75 construction product categories, BASF offers the broadest portfolio of products used on construction sites -- or integrated into other products to improve system performance. BASF's research and development (R&D) and field teams are constantly upgrading the contribution of these products to help lower energy consumption, increase building life expectancy and offer a faster construction process.

BASF's holistic systems approach uses applied building science principles and innovative chemistry to create smart solutions to today's challenges. This enables building materials to work together efficiently, so built environments are healthier, safer, and more resilient, have less impact on the planet and are more affordable to build and operate.

For more information about this partnership, or to learn more about BASF's commitment to sustainable construction, visit www.construction.basf.us/showhome.

Beyond.High Performance(SM) is a service mark of BASF Corporation.

SolarCity

SolarCity® (NASDAQ: SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company offers solar power, energy efficiency and electric vehicle services, and makes clean energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. SolarCity signs a new customer every five minutes. Visit the company online at www.solarcity.com and follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about EUR 73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.