Developers may get grants of up to S$1m when installing solar panels

The Economic Development Board (EDB) has unveiled more details of the Solar Capability Scheme, aimed at spurring demand for clean technology and building up expertise in the new industry.

The S$20 million scheme was first announced in Parliament in April by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, S Iswaran.

The EDB said it expects to fund up to 100 projects.

Under the scheme, new buildings need a minimum Green Mark Gold standard to qualify for a 30 to 40 per cent grant, while existing buildings will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Ko Kheng Hwa, Managing Director, Economic Development Board, said: “We expect interest, and this interest should grow as greater awareness seeps into the industry. Today, the very early adopters are already implementing some form of solar energy systems.

“So with this scheme, we are partially offsetting their initial capital investment, so we should expect that this will be welcomed by the developers and building owners.”

Besides meeting the required standard, other criteria include the innovative application of solar technologies and the aesthetics of the panels as part of the buildings and solar system design.

A seven-member Clean Energy International Advisory Panel has also been formed to help spur industries towards clean energy.

Led by EDB’s Chairman Lim Siong Guan, the panel will meet for the first time in June. It is tasked to give advice on the overall development of the clean energy industry in Singapore. – CNA/vm

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 6 May 2008

Private sector to get S$20m for solar capability development

The private sector can tap on S$20 million to offset part of the capital costs of installing solar technologies in new building projects, the Economic Development Board (EDB) announced on Tuesday.

The Solar Capability Scheme (SCS), launched at SEMICON Singapore 2008, is the latest programme by the Clean Energy Programme Office (CEPO). It seeks to build up the capabilities of companies through increased adoption of solar energy technologies.

The scheme also encourages innovative design and integration of solar technologies into energy efficient buildings. It applies to new building developments in the private sector which meet the required standard.

The amount of financial support for each qualifying project will be assessed on factors such as innovation, design, effectiveness and skills development in the proposed solutions.

Financial support will range from 30 to 40 per cent of the capital cost of the solar solution and capped at S$1 million per project.

The EDB said applications for existing buildings undergoing extensive retrofit will be considered on a case by case basis.

Last year, the government announced a total of S$350 million from various agencies to support the development of the Clean Energy industry.

Singapore aims to grow the Clean Energy industry to generate S$1.7 billion in value-added and 7,000 jobs by 2015. – CNA/ac

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 6 May 2008

CDL turns green and wins

City Developments (CDL) has received more than one-third of all the Green Mark Awards that were handed out to private developers by the Building and Construction Authority recently.

CDL’s 16 awards account for more than 25 per cent of the total number of Green Mark Awards that have been given out since the inaugural one was presented in 2005.

Take a look at the numbers: CDL has achieved a reduction of 42 per cent of water and 19 per cent of energy used for construction. The developer’s construction sites also generated 49 per cent less worksite waste between 2004 and last year.

Just how did the developer go big on eco-friendly buildings without ramping up business costs?

“We believe that everyone involved — the architect, contractor, building managers and consumers — must think green and act on it. We must try our best to influence them by increasing their awareness and instill in them a need to be environmentally responsible,” said Mr Eddie Wong, general manager, projects division, CDL.

Hence, it introduced the CDL Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policy in 2003 to address the project management areas of energy and water conservation, waste management, safety and public health.

CDL’s contractors are appraised via the company’s 5-Star EHS Assessment System and are graded quarterly on a scale of 1 to 5 stars by independent auditors.

The results and practices of all contractors are then reviewed at seminars, providing a learning platform for all parties in the construction value chain for CDL’s properties.

Its approach has rubbed off on the property developer’s partners as well, with more than half of their key consultants obtaining ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications.

And in an effort to encourage contractors to think green, CDL’s annual 5-Star EHS Excellence Award recognises contractors that score high during the EHS Assessment exercise.

One of the recipients is Tiong Seng Contractors, which has won the award twice.

“CDL’s vision and culture to continuously promote new eco-friendly solutions and alternatives have inspired us not only to adopt green practices but to continually search for even better results,” said Mr Pek Lian Guan, managing director of Tiong Seng Contractors.

Source: Weekend Today, 12 May 2007

The green, green class of home

A home that draws energy from the sun, breathes with the wind and drinks from the rain. It’s the stuff of dreams, for an environmentalist at least.

Situated at the prestigious Sentosa Cove, this gem of an eco-home was dreamed up by a Singaporean doctor, who only wants to be known as Dr Lau.

When the home, now in its final design stages, is completed in about a-year-and-a-half, it will boast photovoltaic technology that will generate electricity from sunlight; a rainwater-harvesting system for watering plants and flushing toilets; heat-reflecting paint; and elements such as natural cross ventilation, lush greenery and water features.

“I’ve long wanted to do something like this,” said Dr Lau. “We can live in a sustainable manner and hopefully prevent climate change from getting worse.

“I want to show it can be done, albeit at a higher price.”

There aren’t many Singaporeans like Dr Lau who are passionate enough to take responsibility for the climate change issue by starting, literally, in their own backyards. But with Earth Day falling on this Sunday, there’s no better time to think about doing so.

Architects say that while building one’s own eco-home is not a growing trend — this is far beyond the means of most people — eco-awareness is slowly taking root in the Singapore psyche.

Said Dr Nirmal Kishnani, a green building design consultant with CPG Consultants: “Anecdotally speaking, people are increasingly conscious about energy issues when buying a home.”

This awareness, perhaps more evident in larger residential developments, is starting to have a knock-on effect on developers of residential properties.

Recently, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched its first Eco-Precinct, the build-to-order Treetops@Punggol development, which saw 3,356 applications for the 712 units on offer — making it oversubscribed by more than four times.

Industry watchers say the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Scheme, a green building rating system introduced in 2005, was a huge catalyst in the building of green homes.

“Prior to the Green Mark, we spent a lot of time educating project teams and clients on how to operationalise green thinking. But with the Green Mark, many technical requirements were collapsed into categories and actions, much like a to-do checklist,” said Dr Kishnani. “Now, some developers come to us and say, ‘I want my building to be of Gold standard’ — and that immediately gives the project team a benchmark.”

Added Associate Professor Lee Siew Eang of the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment, and the director of the university’s Centre for Total Building Performance: “‘Green building’ through individual effort has been on and off on a small scale, but with the launch of the Green Mark, the number of people coming forward to design and meet that requirement has been growing surprisingly fast.”

According to the BCA, the increase in the number of applications for the environmental sustainability scheme for buildings has been “very significant”. Already, more than 50 applications have been submitted this year, more than the total number of applications for 2005 and last year put together.

A total of 34 buildings, 16 of them condominiums, have been accredited in the last two years. Another 27 will be receiving awards in the first half of this year, including — for the first time — a landed residential property.

But even as homeowners catch on to the idea that they can go green at home, the people they hire to build their homes often resist this. Most contractors still prefer to go with conventional designs and offer cheaper, less efficient appliances.

Mr Bobby Han, 41, who decided to integrate a rainwater-harvesting system into his semi-detached home — which employs energy efficient and LED lights, as well as windows, glass roof tiles and light-reflecting ducts to maximise natural light — found the first person he had to convince was his own contractor. The latter complained about his design and called the feature “troublesome”.

“We still have a long road ahead training contractors to understand the issues,” said the energy consultant, whose utilities bill for his seven-member family now averages $200 a month. Similar-sized families living in semi-detached houses often run up costs of more than $500 in utilities.

Knowledge gaps stand in the way of any great leap in the popularity of eco-design, said veteran architect Tay Kheng Soon.

“There are a host of new technologies available, but very few people know about them,” said Mr Tay, citing the harnessing of wind power in homes as one example. This has not taken off here, he said, because “capital cost is an issue where the state must step in”.

But most experts agree the main push has to come from the market itself.

“At the end of the day, developers are looking for buyers who are looking for green homes, but they are still not convinced there is strong demand. This will come perhaps in one or two years, when those who live in eco-friendly homes enjoy the benefits and send the message out,” said Prof Lee, who heads NUS’ Energy Sustainability Unit.

Only when the value of such energy-efficient homes outpaces other homes will “more people scramble for them”, he said.

He observed that, currently, not many projects are conducting enough tests and technical appraisals to ensure the design of an eco-home performs better than a typical home’s.

For example, a greater degree of care has to go into ensuring that building orientation, ventilation and lighting is of such high quality that residents can stay comfortable without turning on the fan or air-conditioner.

The low cost of utilities serves as another market disincentive for energy-consciousness in homes. Said Dr Kishnani: “Many don’t pay attention to wastage because energy is relatively cheap. As a homeowner, I would alter my behaviour when it starts to hurt, such as if there is a higher tariff for excessive usage.”

In trying to speed up the process of “greening” more homes, it is difficult to shy away from asking for more Government intervention.

On Tuesday, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said the Government was considering including the optimal level of electricity that households should use in a national energy efficiency plan. But no deadline has been set.

“I am pretty sure eventually the answer will lie in a hybrid mechanism — part legislation, part energy-pricing and part awareness-building through instruments such as the Green Mark,” said Dr Kishnani.

Mr Tay said energy efficiency criteria must be toughened. “The total energy required per household should be declared. The Green Mark must become more stringent.”

There is also a need for strong legislative policies to bring down cost of going really green, say other industry players. A tax incentive for green credits is one option, said Mr Sim Boon Yang, co-founder of architect and design consultancy firm Eco-id.

“Green policies are still limited at this stage,” he said.

Source: Weekend Today, 21 April 2007

Building industry may not be ready for proposed new law for green buildings: experts

Buildings in Singapore still have some way to go where environmentally-friendly features are concerned.

Observers say that currently, the industry may not be ready for the proposed new legislation for green buildings.

The government is proposing to set minimum standards for buildings in future developments so that Singapore can have more eco-friendly buildings.

Such buildings and the technology within them are helping to save a fair bit of money every day.

The Republic Polytechnic in Woodlands, which clinched a Green Mark Award last year, is an example of an eco-friendly building in Singapore.

Said Laurence Tan, Republic Polytechnic’s Senior Manager for Facilities Management & Security, “We actually have thermal energy storage system, where you can actually save $380,000 per year on utility bills. We have pneumatic waste system where…..we did away with the bin centre. We have irrigation system where it collects rainwater and Newater to irrigate the plants.”

More of such green buildings can be expected if the legislation comes through.

But industry watchers say not everyone is fully prepared to be green.

They say the construction sector, for instance, will need to use less labour- intensive materials.

Architects will have to look beyond aesthetics and functionality.

Material suppliers and developers have to be more innovative in the way they work.

Said Tai Lee Siang, President of Singapore Institute of Architects, “We got to start looking at alternative materials, recyclable materials and materials that help us to cut energy usage. And this is the area where I feel that research and development is very necessary. Developers can start by looking at how to re-package their buildings and make green features marketable features.”

Adopting green features is estimated to raise construction costs by some 5 to 10 percent.

But the sweetener is the potential long-term energy savings of 10 to 15 percent over 20 years.

Experts say being green will be good for Singapore.

Said Nicholas Mak, Knight Frank’s property analyst, “Take Hong Kong, they are actually affected by pollution, while Singapore is going in a more green and environmental way. So, in a way, the introduction of more green features into our buildings may actually increase our competitiveness vis-a-vis our neighbours.”

Still, developing green buildings is but a start.

Industry players say it is also important to educate the masses to embrace environmentally-friendly practices.

There is also a need to offer more incentives to encourage existing property owners to add green features to their buildings, for example better insulation and more energy efficient air conditioning system.

Mr Tai said that greening efforts should also extend to residential projects as Singapore has one of the highest heat emissions due to air conditioning.

So efforts must be made in terms of improving ventilation and building facades to reduce the need for air conditioning.

Source: Channel NewsAsia, 25 March 2007

Government may legislate Green Mark requirements on buildings

Plans are in the pipeline to make all new buildings in Singapore environmentally friendly.

While this may mean higher development costs, Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said long-term cost savings would be greater than the upfront costs.

The government is considering making changes to the Building Control Act to mandate new buildings to be environmentally friendly.

Such ‘green buildings’ would be energy-efficient and provide lower water consumption and better indoor environmental quality.

And already, there has been a growing demand for environmental building consultancy services.

Vincent Low, Director of Business Development at C-Energy Global, said: “Because of this incentive, I found developers looking for energy consultants to help them look into the plant, and to work together to make sure the design is effective and efficient.”

The green-building consultancy firm said it expects a two- or threefold increase in business in the next three years.

The government said it is committed to achieving high standards in construction sustainability.

While a ‘green building’ would involve higher construction costs, experts said the operational savings would more than offset the higher initial costs.

Meanwhile, Singapore construction firms have also been urged to adopt waste recycling measures and switch to alternative construction materials.

The latest call came from Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu at an industry event on Tuesday.

She said: “We have a big building programme in the pipeline, and it must be (done) in a sustainable way. The recent Indonesian ban on export of concreting sand, and the disruption in granite supply serve as timely wake-up calls.

“We must quickly switch to sustainable construction. Instead of relying on concrete as the main construction material, we have to make use of alternative materials, including steel, other metals, glass and composites.”

Currently, only 5 percent of buildings in Singapore are constructed using steel, compared to the US where steel structures are commonly used.

Waste recycling is mandatory in the construction process in countries like Japan, Germany and the Netherlands.

Source: Channel NewsAsia, 20 March 2007

S$70m set aside to encourage developers to ‘go green’

S$70 million will be set aside for research and incentives for developers to build more environmentally-friendly buildings over the next five years.

And the government will take the lead.

From April 1 next year, all new public buildings and buildings more than 5,000 square metres that are undergoing retrofitting must have the Green Mark certification.

All these initiatives are part of the government’s Green Building Masterplan.

It has been nearly two years since the Green Mark scheme was launched in January 2005 to encourage developers to build more environmentally-friendly buildings.

So far 10 public buildings, and 24 private properties – one of which is The Exchange Beijing retrofitted by Singapore developers – have been awarded the Green Mark certification.

Dr John Keung, CEO, Building and Construction Authority, said, “A Green Mark building is an energy efficient building. So you can reap the benefit of energy savings year after year; if you’re talking about some higher tier Green Mark… 25 to 30 percent saving in energy costs.

“So based on our estimate so far, and given the cost of a Green Mark building today, you’d probably need seven to 10 years for a payback for your investment. But in the longer term, it’s actually cheaper to build a Green Mark building.”

From energy efficient features and water conservation measures, to improved indoor air quality and the use of recycled water, Green Mark buildings have shown that it pays to invest in environmentally-friendly designs and technology.

(Green Mark) Platinum award winner Tan Tock Seng Hospital, for example, saves S$400,000 a year on energy bills by going green.

Tan Tock Seng Hospital is among the four public buildings awarded the top honours of Green Mark Platinum.

The public sector will continue to take the lead.

Upcoming projects like Alexandra Hospital @ Yishun, the new People Association Headquarters and the Marina Barrage visitor centre will also be aiming for the Green Mark.

From next April, all new public buildings, including new HDB flats, must also be certified with at least the basic Green Mark.

To nudge private developers into building more green buildings, and to retrofit old ones, a S$20 million Green Mark Cash Grant Incentive Scheme has been set up by the BCA.

It will offer a grant of up to S$6 per square metre of built area to help defray additional costs of making buildings environmentally-friendly.

Dr Keung explained, “To get a Green Mark building design, the best way to do it is to get it right from Day One. You design the building to be energy efficient, and so on and so forth. So under this incentive scheme, we’re going to assess the building plan. When we’re satisfied that they can be awarded certain Green Mark certification – Gold, Gold Plus or Platinum level – we will give them the first instalment – 50 percent of the incentive under this scheme.

“Then after the building is completed, occupied, a year after T.O.P., we would do the check to make sure that they can achieve the 25 percent or 30 percent energy saving. And once we are satisfied, we’ll give them the second instalment.”

BCA estimates that some 120 to 150 buildings would benefit from the scheme.

Dr Keung said, “We have in the last two years managed to get 34 buildings to be Green Mark certified, and we hope that in the next few years, with this incentive scheme, we can get (200-300) buildings to come on board.”

In the longer term, we’d probably need hundreds, if not thousands of green mark buildings to come in to create that critical mass for Singapore… build up a bigger critical mass of green mark buildings and as a result with more buildings coming in for Green Mark, we can achieve better economies of scale.

And I guess when the green building technology, the cost of doing it comes down, there’ll be more buildings coming in for Green Mark, and it will be a few more steps closer to our vision to have a sustainable city. And when you have buildings that are environmentally more friendly, that’s the kind of benefits that we’re looking for in the long term.”

A S$50 million Research Fund will also be set up.

The first-of-its-kind dedicated R&D fund for construction and real estate sectors aims to promote green building technologies, energy efficiency and indoor environment quality over the next five years.

The first Request for Proposal for the Fund will open on January 5 next year and close on February 28, 2007.

It is open to all Singapore-based proposers, including tertiary institutions, public sector agencies, private companies and individuals.

Successful applicants can get funding assistance to cover 30 to 75 percent of the qualifying cost of the research project, capped at S$2 million per proposal.

But the biggest incentive for private developers to build green buildings has to be because consumers want it.

So a public education campaign will be launched early next year, on the long-term savings and benefits of environmentally-friendly buildings.

Source: Channel NewsAsia, 15 December 2006 

Singapore’s A*STAR creates lab for intelligent home

Singapore‘s Agency for Science, Technology and Research or A*STAR has set up a laboratory of sorts to test out technologies for an intelligent home of the future.Researchers will be able to use the fully furnished model home to test out if the technologies they create are feasible, reliable and usable.

However, A*STAR admits the high cost of wiring up a home makes it out of reach for the average person for at least the next 10 years.

The Star Home helps develop the high tech home of the future. It does so by acting as a test bed for companies and A*STAR to get a better idea of how to bring the products to the market.

However, the cost could freeze many out of buying into the lifestyle, and A*STAR says previous attempts to test smart homes were not successful because the timing wasn’t right for the technology to hit the market.

“For the basic future home with embedded intelligence in the house, I think it should not cost more than $10,000,” said Prof Chong Tow Chong, Executive Director, A*STAR.

The basic system includes sensors to detect movement and a wireless connection system among other features.

To help develop these concepts further, Singaporean companies and A*STAR have signed a memorandum of understanding.

“SME’s generally do not have a lot of resources especially to invest in R & D. R & D is a very expensive investment so that’s how we help them. We invest first and we build the technologies, we have the expertise and we have the facilities and we can help them develop products,” said Prof Lye Kin Mun, Deputy Executive Director, Industry, A*STAR.

A*STAR projects the idea of the Smart Home will not become a reality for another 10 to 15 years, when demand for the technology could push the price down.

Source: Channel NewsAsia, 01 November 2006