It wasn't so long ago that Bayer MaterialScience announced plans to construct a series of  net zero commercial buildings, starting with its EcoCommerical Building Conference Center in suburban Pittsburgh. That building has since taken a "Green Power: Turn It On" award from Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future. Now the company's office building in Greater Noida, India, has taken LEED Platinum for New Construction, claiming 64 out of a  possible 69 points – the highest score anywhere in the world so far.

The building achieved this distinction with high green marks in the areas of water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. It was built according to the principles of Bayer's EcoCommercial Building Program, using green technologies and products from its global network of green building product developers, including a solar photovoltaic system that kicks out more energy than the building consumes on an annual basis, carbon free.

image via Bayer

The building makes use of  polyurethane-based insulation, which effectively cuts out 70 percent of the electricity that would have been used by a conventionally constructed building located in the same (tropical) region, largely for cooling. It also employs a variety of special protections against solar gain and energy-saving techniques in its building management system that contribute to a total primary energy savings as high as 42 percent.

The building also harvests rainwater and treats graywater on site [PDF], which contributed to its ultra-green LEED rating.

"The Platinum Award is a clear indication that the concept of ecologically sustainable building can be achieved with the right materials, regardless of whether in the developed world or in an emerging market," said Thomas Roemer, head of the construction & building industry platform at Bayer MaterialScience, in a statement. He went on to note that he and his team hope this building will motivate more builders and developers worldwide to get on board with sustainable building. (This last, of course, comes as no surprise, as Bayer MaterialScience's EcoCommercial Building Program seeks to give builders and developers the tools with which to do so).