Tag Archives: Green Mark

Up to S$3m funding to improve energy efficiency of buildings

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Developers and building owners can expect more funding from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

Under the enhanced Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings, BCA will co-fund up to 50 per cent or S$3 million of the cost of building projects.

This includes the purchase of energy-efficient equipment, such as chillers and LED lightings, the installation of the equipment and consultancy fees.

Previously, the scheme co-funded up to 35 per cent or S$1.5 million of the cost of energy-efficient equipment only.

To be eligible for the funding, one criteria applicants must meet is the Green Mark standard, a yardstick to rate the environmental sustainability of buildings in the tropics.

Owners who plan to retrofit their buildings to Green Mark Platinum standard can receive the maximum amount of funding.

Buildings rated with Green Mark GoldPlus can receive up to S$2.25 million co-funding, up from the previous S$0.5 million and those rated with Green Mark Gold can receive up to S$1.5 million, up from the previous S$0.15 million.

The S$100 million scheme was launched in 2009.

Since then, BCA has received 71 applications for an estimated S$11 million.

BCA said it considered industry feedback in raising the maximum co-funding level.

Dr John Keung, chief executive officer of BCA, said: “They were quite concerned about this initial costs. It could be anything from 5 to 10 per cent (higher) and the payback period is four years, six years, that kind of length. They believe that if funding level can be increased a bit more, it would be easier, make it more viable for them to go for the higher green building standard.”

Industry members say the increased funding will help them implement more energy-efficient features, which will result in lower electricity bills.

S Kunalen, chairman of International Plaza Management Council, said: “We can save about S$400,000 a year, which will then go towards our sinking fund, which will allow for other improvements in the building.”

To date, there are more than 1,200 green building projects, equivalent to 16 per cent of gross floor area of the buildings in Singapore.

Under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, unveiled in 2009, the target is to “green” 80 per cent of buildings by 2030.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 26 Jul 2012

Terrace housing development gets BCA Green Mark Platinum award

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Haus @ Serangoon Garden is the first landed residential estate in Singapore to achieve the BCA Green Mark Platinum award for incorporating green designs and technologies into every house.

The BCA Green Mark scheme was introduced in 2005, currently over 1,000 buildings in Singapore have met the Green Mark standards.

Haus @ Serangoon Garden comprises 96 landed terrace houses located at Serangoon Garden Way. Jointly developed by City Developments Limited (CDL) and Hong Realty (Private) Limited, it is slated for launch around mid-2012.

Haus @ Serangoon Garden is designed with environmental sustainability in mind. The development embraces an extensive use of both passive and active green building approaches to ensure that a comprehensive sustainable design is incorporated from the beginning.

The development uses both passive and active green building approaches to ensure that a comprehensive sustainable design is incorporated from the beginning.

Each house is equipped with state-of-the art green technology for energy and water efficiency.

It is the first landed housing development in Singapore to have a one kilowatt-peak photovoltaic (PV) system.

The solar power generated by the PV system helps to offset the grid electricity consumption by the refrigerator and reduces utility bills.

Rainwater will also be collected for gardening use.

The project also features an innovative air-conditioner heat recovery system, in which waste heat generated by the air-conditioner is used to provide house owners with hot water in the bathrooms.

Approximately four per cent of the total construction cost was invested into the development of the estate’s green innovations, which is expected to result in up to 40 per cent energy savings for each house.

Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director of CDL said: “Haus @ Serangoon Garden is a landmark residential development for us as we are able to deliver significant measurable and direct cost benefits to individual homebuyers over a long-term period.”

Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA said, “This is a first time we have awarded the Green Mark Platinum rating to a landed housing estate in Singapore. We are indeed encouraged to see developers like CDL and Hong Realty making the effort to bring environmentally sustainable designs to not only high-rise buildings but individual landed homes.”

He added, “This project would serve as a good prototype for green landed housing in future and even for reference by existing homeowners who are looking to retrofit and improve the energy efficiency of their landed homes.”

OCBC Centre receives Green Mark Gold Award

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OCBC Centre has been awarded a Green Mark Gold Award for sustainability efforts, and it is the oldest historic site to receive the prize.

The award from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is for the bank’s headquarters, as well as OCBC Centre South which was built in 1985.

The S$100 million OCBC Centre development was officially opened on 1 October 1976, and at that time, it was the tallest building in Asia outside of Japan.

The building was marketed as a historic site by the National Heritage Board on 16 February 2001.

Since then, OCBC has worked to retrofit the building with features such as more efficient air-conditioning and water consumption management systems.

Lights in the common corridors of the building areas and car parks of the building too were furnished with energy saving alternatives, which resulted in annual energy savings of 3,236,790 kilowatt hours.

OCBC has also been encouraging its tenants to go green, and about 80 per cent of tenants participate in recycling programmes introduced for both buildings.

“Since 2006, we have been consciously looking at implementing green measures to improve energy efficiency and to reduce the environmental impact on our buildings. We are pleased to receive this award for our efforts towards shaping a sustainable built environment in the concrete jungle of Singapore. We recognise that the challenges on this front are multi-faceted and the solutions are evolving. Nevertheless, we will continue to take gradual steps in greening the buildings that we own,” said Vincent Soh, executive director of OCBC Property Services.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 20 May 2011

More buildings going green

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More buildings are going green.

This year, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is giving out a record number of BCA Green Mark awards to 164 winners, up from 102 last year.

Singapore is a step closer to the national target of “greening” 80 per cent of buildings by 2030.

The Green Mark Scheme was introduced in 2005 to recognise water and energy efficient buildings. And as of 2008, all new buildings are required by law to meet a basic Green Mark standard.

BCA said a series of green incentive schemes has encouraged many developers to go beyond the mandatory.

Incentives include additional floor area, which could translate to higher profit, as well as reimbursements for engaging environmental experts, who can help in achieving an energy-efficient design for buildings.

Organisations that voluntarily go the extra mile are given the Green Mark Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum awards.

Among them is private developer City Developments Limited (CDL).

It clinched more than 50 Green Mark Gold & Above awards, of which 16 are Platinum awards.

For this track record, CDL earned the inaugural BCA Green Mark Platinum Champion Award this year.

Apart from installing green features like water-efficient taps and energy-saving light bulbs, CDL said green development is about managing resources and harnessing Mother Nature.

And it can be cost-effective too.

Allen Ang, Deputy GM of Projects Division with CDL said: “Using green technology such as pre-fabrication, pre-fab bathrooms actually helps us reduce a lot of natural resources; not just materials, but manpower. And as you know, manpower is expensive.

“If the environment is sited such that we can orientate the building towards the north-south orientation, it also helps us to reduce air-con capacity in cooling our apartments. And in so doing, reduce the treatment cost for the glass of the facade.”

The BCA Green Mark Champion Award went to the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the first public sector agency to receive the award.

HDB has completed 14 projects that attained at least Green Mark Gold status, five of which were rated Platinum.

Some of the award-winning green projects include Treelodge@Punggol, Waterway Terraces and SkyTerrace@Dawson.

With this year’s winners, there are more than 750 Green Mark building projects in Singapore, amounting to 11 per cent of the total gross floor area.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 17 May 2011

Platinum Green Mark Award for Ocean Financial Centre

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Singapore’s green drive is reaching new heights. It now boasts of having the highest solar panels in Southeast Asia at the Ocean Financial Centre.

The 43-storey building is the first office development in Singapore to be awarded the Platinum Green Mark Award.

Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s financial district, the Ocean Financial Centre stands out with its sloping roof.

But it is what is on its roof that is getting the green thumb of approval.

At 245 metres above ground, the panels make up the highest solar installation in Southeast Asia.

The height makes the generation of clean energy more effective.

That is because there are fewer shadows that prevent power generation. And the strong winds help clean up the surface of the solar panels.

The efficiency of the solar panels drops when the temperatures go up. But the makers of the HIT solar panels said they have found a way to make the most of Singapore’s hot climate.”

Hiroyuki Kuriyama, division president for Energy Systems and Solutions Sales at SANYO Asia, said: “Sanyo’s HIT technology is a unique combination of amorphous silicon type solar cell and crystalline silicon solar cell. The amorphous silicon solar cell has a less drop in high temperature, but could not get much conversion efficiency.

“On the other hand, crystalline silicon solar cell can generate much efficiency, but there is a big drop in high temperature. So Sanyo’s HIT technology (combines) both advantages of the technology. Sanyo has developed solar cells which have the world’s highest convergence efficiency, which is 23 per cent in R&D levels and 21.6 per cent at mass production levels.”

The roof’s unique design proved a bit of a challenge when it came to installation.

Albert Lim, managing director of SolarGy, said: “The sloping roof profile, which is about 19 degrees, requires special installation skills and extra safety precautions. Being that steep, I think the rate that we install per day is only about 4-5 panels. Compared to a flat roof, we could have done 20-30 pieces.”

The 366 panels can generate 86 megawatt hours worth of energy in a year.

That makes up about half a percent of the building’s estimated energy usage.

They can also reduce 45 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, saving 240 trees a year.

The solar panel system is just one of the eco-features of the Ocean Financial Centre which will be ready in the next few months.

It will also have an energy-efficient hybrid chilled water system and an innovative paper recycling system for all offices.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 21 Feb 2011

HarbourFront Centre gets Green Mark Platinum cert

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The Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) has awarded HarbourFront Centre a Green Mark Platinum certificate under the “Existing Buildings” category.

The highest rating for green buildings in Singapore recognises developments which are energy efficient.

Mapletree Investments, which owns HarbourFront Centre, retrofitted the 33-year old building with a more energy efficient central chiller plant in 2009.

Since then, the 13-storey complex – with 120 offices – has improved the efficiency of its air-conditioning system by 50 per cent.

It has helped to save about 1.3 million kilowatt per hour of energy annually.

Together with other energy saving initiatives, Mapletree has been able to reduce its electricity costs at HarbourFront by over 30 per cent.

Mapletree has also attained the Green Mark Gold Award for its latest retail project, the Alexandra Retail Centre.

The centre, which will take over the current retail space at the PSA Building, will occupy three floors.

It will be equipped with energy and water saving systems, which could translate into cost savings of S$170,000 annually.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 17 Jan 2011

Higher Green Mark standards for new buildings from December

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Higher Green Mark standards will apply to new buildings in Singapore from December.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said the move will guide the industry towards more sustainable and energy efficient practices in building design, construction and maintenance.

An award made of recycled glass was conferred to BCA by international think tank Aspen Institute for its efforts in promoting “green” practices in Singapore’s buildings.

And the use of recycled materials is one area of sustainable construction practices that’s encouraged under the revised Green Mark criteria.

Other revisions include requiring air-conditioning systems that are more energy efficient, and incorporating natural ventilation into the design.

To meet the minimum certification level, new buildings or those undergoing major retrofitting will need an energy efficiency standard that is 28 per cent higher than 2005 levels. This is also a 10 per cent point jump over the current standard.

BCA had consulted the industry over the last year in its review, and concerns about high costs and the lack of expertise were raised.

“We’ve been having quite a lot of training programmes, even those at the Masters level, to build up this green collar professional capability in the industry,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 5 Aug 2010

Green grasp of home

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Going green has its rewards, especially for Treetops Executive Residences, managed by DTZ Debenham Tie Leung Hospitality Management Services.

It has won them the prestigious Green Mark Gold Award, an accolade awarded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Treetops is the first building under the service apartment industry category to receive this accolade.

Beyond meeting the stringent criteria – which include energy and water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environmental quality assessment – Treetops has in place practices to ensure guests enjoy a better quality of life.

On the concept of being “green”, Mr Tay Hock Soon, general manager of Treetops Executive Residences, said: “We believe it is not confined to just the wellbeing of the earth and its environment; it also covers the wellbeing of human health.

“With the increased attention on adopting a green lifestyle, we feel the focus should go beyond the basics of providing lavish living by providing state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding interior and exterior decor; it is also about going back to nature and to seek the purest state of the essential needs in life, which is to improve the quality of life for our guests and staff.

“I agree with this statement I once heard: ‘We have a choice not to drink dirty water but we do not have a choice not to breathe in polluted air’.”

At Treetops Executive Residences, the air-purifying system installed is so effective that a staff member who used to get weekly asthmatic attacks no longer suffers from it.

“When staff health improves, so does productivity,” Mr Tay said.

“From a marketing perspective, it is good branding as we received positive acknowledgement from guests who applaud our efforts. It has also made us the preferred choice of guests who are aware of our cause and know that their overall wellbeing is being taken care of,” he added.

Treetops Executive Residences is working to get BCA’s highest award, the Green Mark Platinum status.

They have started an initiative to reduce electricity usage by installing heat-recovery systems that produce hot water for the rooms, a rainwater recovery system to reduce water consumption, installing energy-saving light bulbs and purifying the swimming pool water so that fewer chemicals are used.

Source : Today – 4 Jun 2010

Singapore’s first “Zero Energy Building” launched

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The inaugural Singapore Green Building week started on Monday with the launch of Singapore’s first “Zero Energy Building.”

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the three-storey office building showcases how it can be up to 50 per cent more energy efficient.

It cost some S$11 million to retrofit but the building is expected to generate as much electricity as it consumes in a year.

The government aims to get 80 per cent of all buildings on Green Mark certification by 2030.

Known as the zero energy building, the structure along Braddell Road has been retrofitted to ensure it is self-sufficient in meeting its electricity needs.

It has various green features which act as a test bed for clean energy technologies before they are introduced into the industry.

To help beat the heat, the visitor’s centre has plants on its walls which help reduce external wall temperatures by up to 12 degree Celsius while a solar chimney sucks out the warm air from the room.

Contraptions help shade the building from the sun and bounce natural light into the interiors.

The solar panels help generate enough electricity to supply power to 45 four- room HDB flats for a year.

While it might cost five per cent more to retrofit existing buildings with green design and technologies, experts said the pay back is not as long as some might expect.

John Keung, CEO, Building and Construction Authority, said: “For a typical existing building if you go for a green mark certification, the expected pay back period is two to six years depending on your design and what you want to put in there. So it’s still quite cost effective.”

Mr Mah said: “The government will have to educate, put in incentives and we may also eventually have to make it mandatory to have some legislation in place. But through a combination of these factors hopefully through education and incentives we will be able to move people along.”

Cash incentives are already in place under the Green Mark certification scheme to encourage buildings to go green.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 26 Oct 2009

Buildings go green to cut costs amid economic downturn

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One way to cut costs amid the current downturn is to make buildings more eco-friendly and efficient. Experts said this can save as much as a 20 per cent in energy bills.

And for those worried about higher investments, there are initiatives that can cover up to 35 per cent of such costs.

Demand for ‘green’ buildings has grown amid the current downturn. Environmentally-conscious consumers are increasingly demanding more eco-friendly homes.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has seen applications for its green mark certification jump from 17 in 2005 to over 100 in 2008. So far in 2009, there are some 120 buildings waiting for certification.

The BCA Green Mark Scheme was launched in January 2005 to push Singapore’s construction industry to build more environmentally friendly buildings. Experts said even old buildings can be retrofitted to be green.

“I suppose the economic crisis will affect the demand for green buildings, but… the focus will be on retrofitting, so we are thinking there will be a resurgence in retrofitting,” said Tan Tian Chong, director of Technology Development at BCA.

The BCA is pumping funds into retrofitting development, and as a result is expecting retrofitting projects to generate over S$1 billion by 2020.

Such retrofitting – which includes modifications such as air-conditioning and lighting systems – will need 3 to 4 years before showing returns on the investment. The BCA said with the new incentives, the time frame could be further reduced by one third.

Currently, only one per cent of completed buildings in Singapore are certified green. But by 2030, the BCA is targeting to bring this to 80 per cent.

To encourage developers to go green for new projects, the BCA will be offering additional gross floor area for projects that qualify.

New green buildings will take 6 to 8 years to show returns on investment, and could present up to 30 per cent in energy savings.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 5 May 2009