Energy-efficient government buildings to be identified in Malaysia

The Energy Commission of Malaysia's Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) has launched National Building Intensity (BEI) Labelling for Government Buildings.

The initiative aims to optimise energy consumption levels in government buildings in Malaysia and encourage owners to make energy use more efficient. The BEI label has a star rating, with five stars for the most efficient buildings.

In phase one, to be introduced by end-2018, involves 100 buildings of ministries, departments and agencies under MESTECC and the Prime Minister's Department. The next phase will run from 2019 for four years and cover 1,900 government buildings such as offices, hospitals, universities, polytechnics and schools; the third phase, from 2023, is to label 3,000 buildings.

Singapore's Building and Construction Authority champions super low energy buildings

The Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has launched the Super Low Energy (SLE) Programme to push the envelope of environmental sustainability in Singapore. It includes a suite of initiatives such as the SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap and the SLE Challenge to encourage the adoption and design of cost-efficient SLE buildings. 

The programme was announced by Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Singapore, who was guest-of-honour at the opening of Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) 2018. 

Singapore’s green building journey began in 2005 with the introduction of the BCA Green Mark and the three Green Building Masterplans. Since then Singapore has ‘greened’ more than 3,400 buildings, covering more than 100 million m2 of gross floor area. The business case for green buildings is demonstrated in BCA’s latest Building Energy Benchmarking Report 2018. Commercial buildings have shown 14% lower energy consumption since 2008. This improvement from over 1,000 commercial buildings translates to about 1,000 GWh in energy savings per annum, which is equivalent to about S$200 million savings in a year. 

Hugh Lim, BCA CEO, said: “We have come a long way in our environmental sustainability journey. To kickstart the next wave of our green building movement, BCA is working with the industry professionals to deliver cost-effective super low energy buildings which can achieve a minimum of 60% energy efficiency improvement over the 2005 building codes, when the BCA Green Mark was first introduced. Beyond this, we are embarking on more rigorous research and innovation to further push the frontier for green buildings to achieve up to 80% energy efficiency improvement. 

"By setting such new performance benchmarks, Singapore can play an important role in mitigating climate change and doing our part as a responsible global citizen. We hope more building owners and developers will join us as we work towards the common goal to shape a greener built environment that benefits Singaporeans.”

The SLE Programme is aimed at making SLE buildings the next generation of green buildings. It consists of: 

SLE Challenge 

An SLE Challenge inviting developers to take the lead in developing SLE buildings through good designs and cost-effective technologies. So far, more than 10 developers and building owners have voluntarily pledged their commitment to achieve at least one SLE project in the next five years. 

For instance, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has worked with the Army to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency for building facilities in Kranji Camp and Seletar Camp*, while still meeting operational requirements. For Kranji Camp building, DSTA adopted computational fluid dynamics to simulate wind flow and design the buildings for optimal natural ventilation. 

Solar light pipes are used to channel sunlight into the building interior, while sensors are introduced to automatically lower artificial lighting levels when there is sufficient sunlight, thus conserving energy. Solar panels are installed on the roofs of both buildings to convert sunlight to electricity, generating sufficient energy to meet all their requirements. 

The two Army buildings will save close to 540 MWh of electricity a year – which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 116 four-room government-issued (HDB) flats. DSTA also introduced the use of mass engineered timber, a sustainable material which also serves as a carbon sink, for the Kranji building, which is a first for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) facilities. 

Green Mark for SLE

To recognise these SLE projects, BCA has introduced the new Green Mark for SLE. This voluntary certification framework for SLE buildings adds on to the BCA Green Mark scheme, and supports the net zero energy aspiration in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Green Mark for SLE will provide recognition for best-in-class energy efficient buildings in addition to their Green Mark award. For example, a building that achieves both the Green Mark Platinum and Green Mark for SLE would be awarded the Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) accolade. This encourages building owners to push the boundaries in terms of passive and active strategies, smart energy management, and use of renewable energy to achieve best-in-class building energy performance. Public and private developers have agreed to strive for the Green Mark for SLE in close to 20 projects.

SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap

The SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap to develop cost-effective solutions that push the limits of energy-efficiency ratings. The SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap will also help achieve the target of up to 80% energy efficiency improvement over 2005 levels. Jointly developed in partnership with industry and academia, the roadmap outlines the broad strategies to help the industry design and develop cost-effective SLE buildings. 

An SLE building with 60% energy efficiency improvement is technically feasible with best-in-class technologies today, but more research, development and demonstration (RD&D) is needed to push the boundaries to 80% energy efficiency improvement, and to do so in a cost effective way. 

Keppel Land is one such developer who has committed to pilot various emerging technologies at its BCA Green Mark Platinum-certified development, Keppel Bay Tower, with a view to replicate the implementation of these technologies to rejuvenate its other commercial buildings. In 2017, BCA and Keppel Land launched a Joint Challenge Call for test-bedding of SLE technologies at Keppel Bay Tower. This project is supported by an innovation fund of S$1.28 million from BCA’s Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) programme. Keppel Land will demonstrate five technologies within Keppel Bay Tower, namely:

Smart lighting 

The smart lighting system utilises occupancy sensors which will allow seamless transition in lighting levels according to building occupancy. The fully-autonomous system will be implemented in seven levels of the building.

Climate control based on analytics 

Integrated sensors are used to capture occupants’ activities and comfort levels based on which an analytical model will be derived to predict and optimise air-conditioning operations to improve energy efficiency.

Intelligent building control 

The smart building management system, which will be implemented throughout the entire building, uses a simulation model together with available building data for energy optimisation, predictive maintenance and fault detection. This technology employs a high-performance physics-based simulation engine that utilises machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve data analytics and control. This will reduce the downtime and resources required for Keppel Land to maintain and operate the development.

High-efficiency air distribution 

This air handling unit fan, which is about 25% more energy-efficient than best-in-class technology, is expected to run at lower noise levels, resulting in better indoor environment quality for building occupants.

Cooling tower water management 

This system, which will be implemented throughout the building, incorporates a patented solution which dissolves existing scale (buildup of solids/sediment) and prevents further scale formation. It also removes dissolved oxygen for better corrosion control. The system will also automatically disinfect water to prevent algae and bacteria, thereby eliminating the need for chemical treatment. The amount of blow-down water (water that is drained to remove mineral buildup) discharged is hence substantially reduced, resulting in significant water savings.

*Both developments are on track to achieve Zero Energy Building status under the new BCA Green Mark for SLE, as the framework provides pathways to meet either Super Low Energy or Zero Energy Building.

Innovating in green buildings and construction spaces

Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia, the Southeast Asian trade exhibition for the green building market, has kicked off at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Visitors from more than 50 countries are expected to attend the event to get a firsthand look at the latest innovations and insights in the Asian green building, HVAC-R*, water, energy and heating industries.

Running until 14 September 2017, BEX Asia is co-located with Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia, the regional trade exhibition for energy-efficient solutions that power industrial, commercial and residential buildings. The events anchor Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW), and are part of a larger movement contributing to the future wellbeing of the planet. SGBW hosts events that galvanise the community to act on sustainability, reaching out to international green building experts, policymakers, academics, built environment practitioners, end-users, as well as members of the public and students.

A key theme throughout the exhibition were smart devices that promise to power next-generation homes, offices and buildings.

A close up of the Halio glass when it is in transition. These patterns only appear while the glass is becoming darker or lighter, disappearing completely thereafter. Transitions occur in under three minutes and are detectable in 20 seconds. The darker tints can reduce the need for HVAC solutions and artificial light, with savings of up to 22%. There is a 360-degree Halio experience available.

“We are glad to be able to participate in this year’s edition of MCE Asia 2017,” said David Yim, Marketing Manager at AGC Asia Pacific. “It is a great opportunity for us to share Halio, our smart-tinting glass that brings active glass technology into the market to deliver powerful and responsive natural light management. Through the event, we are not only able to reach out to new and potential clients, but are able to network with some of the brightest minds in the industry. We are looking forward to gaining many new insights into the business, and hope to interact with more experts and end-users over the next few days.”

Kinestral's Halio from AGC is a smart tinting glass that can darken and lighten as required for sun-blocking, anti-glare and privacy purposes, automatically or on demand, in just under three minutes. The glass can be voice-controlled or controlled with a dimmer-type switch.

Other companies debuting their latest solutions include: 

The AL-SUS Step Lift takes up 15 cm of the width of the staircase when it is in use. Starting and stopping is extremely smooth.

AL-SUS Technologies’ Step Lift, a lift that can be quickly installed to fit existing staircases, eliminating the need to build expensive escalator or lift shafts. Meant to complement the use of staircases, the step lift is a platform that smoothly and automatically moves up a single flight of stairs, and can take loads of up to 150kg.

Belimo’s Energy Valve is a smart HVAC control valve for air conditioning. With integrated smart sensors, the Energy Valve automatically calibrates the chilled water needed to maintain optimal temperatures in buildings, thereby lowering costs and reducing energy wastage.

The ITALIA WOW snow-textured paint enhancer is brushed onto an emulsion paint surface to give a snow-textured finish. The ITALIA family of textured paints is from SAN Cora Paint, a KANSAI Paint company.

KANSAI Paint's ALES-SHIQUY air purifying paint can eliminate odour, deactivate bacteria and viruses, and clear indoor air pollution. The company set up two boxes containing vinegar to demonstrate how effective its paint is. The box on the left smelled of paint and vinegar whereas the box on the right - painted with ALES-SHIQUY paint - smelled of vinegar two hours into the exhibition. According to the booth representative the paint would ensure the vinegar smell would also dissipate over time. ALES-SHIQUY paint is recommended for restaurants, hospitals and schools.

KANSAI Paint Singapore will be showcasing its air-purifying paint that detoxifies indoor air pollution to deactivate bacteria and viruses for better health and wellbeing, as well as textured paint that can be overlaid onto existing painted surfaces.

Lumani aims to reduce the global carbon footprint from buildings and reduce energy costs through autonomous lighting control solutions that automatically adjust according to occupants’ needs. Lumani Lumazones, an autonomous lighting and HVAC system, uses sensors to decide the best energy-saving operating mode, without sacrificing user comfort.

Another highlight is the Future Home, curated by Surbana Jurong Consultants, themed Life in the Time of Climate Change. The focal display showcases the integration of building and sustainable innovation in the form of a house, highlighting that sustainable living starts from home. In these spaces, visitors can learn about products that can enable cost savings on energy and water, thermal comfort, digital connectivity and environment wellbeing. Companies featured include AGC Asia Pacific, Cityneon, Ecosoftt, Greenology, Hubble, Hydrabath, Mobike, SoundEye, Waldmann Lighting and Whiteblack – Greenblue.

Bike sharing, as represented by Mobike bikes outside the Smart Home, offer a green solution to last-mile travel between home and public transport. The bikes can be rented affordably and are located, locked and unlocked using a mobile app.

Ecosoftt showcased a smart bathroom in the Future Home which collects lightly-used water from baths, showers and hand basins for flushing toilets and household cleaning. 

The SoundEye Ark sensor, showcased in the Future Home, detects sounds of distress such as screaming or crying with high accuracy. It can also detect motion and supports a two-way voice intercom and live video feed, helping to monitor the elderly and children.

Hubble, which had a booth inside the Future Home, harnessed cloud-based mobile and web data analytics platforms for their "ERP for construction" to improve construction management across functions such as quality, safety, workforce, inventory, and fleet management. The solution is uniquely tuned towards sectors where the workforce is typically in the field most of the time, and is used by Woh Hup, Hexacon, Sante, KKL and Chuan Lim.

Greenology is known for its vertical greening solutions. A pavilion created on-site with double-sided vertical greening creates a serene, cool private yet open space. Its Greenologix subsidiary offers sensors and drones to help in plant maintenance.

Other solutions include:

Crestron Singapore’s Crestron Fusion, an intelligent energy management solution that provides data analytics and centralised environmental controls

En-trak Hong Kong’s En-trak Energy, which allows businesses to leverage real-time data to save costs and improve energy efficiency

The exhibition will also shine a spotlight on green building materials that can potentially reduce wastage of natural resources. Products showcased will include eco-friendly tile adhesives from PAREX Group; and Innovative Precast Builders’ patented interlocking precast block system that minimises wastage.

Kel Low, Senior Manager for Specifier Relations, Nippon Paint (Singapore), one of the key exhibitors at BEX 2017, said, “In the paints industry, there have been new innovations. For example, the development of anti-mosquito paints featuring unique knock-down formulation, seeks to provide passive protection to consumers by knocking down mosquitoes when they come into contact with painted surfaces. At Nippon Paint, we are excited to share our innovations with the wider market and are also honoured to be part of the movement towards greener buildings.”

Some companies also launched products and solutions new to Asia. Highlights include:

AET Flexible Space from the UK, which introduced underfloor air conditioning systems that optimise energy performance, leading to cost savings of up to 48%. The solution is highly compatible with green building certifications such as LEED.

The Finch unit showcased is made of solid wood. 

G3 Industry of Netherlands' Finch Buildings, a portable and stackable modular building system that utilises sustainably harvested timber. Finch modules are highly sustainable, due to their long lifespan, energy efficiency and closed-loop system.

Slovakian company TapHome rolled out a smart home energy management system that can control various modules, including thermostats, lighting, and doors. Its heating algorithms can learn the preferred energy requirements of each room. The system is controllable through a mobile app. 

Crestron's Mercury Tabletop Meeting Solution acts as a phone, support web collaboration, wired and wireless presentations, as well as room-booking capabilities. A built-in occupancy sensor offers usage and data reporting. For larger groups, Crestron offers "it just works" presentation facilities that configure automatically based on the number of connected devices.

Big Ass Fans showcased a number of fans, including the Haiku which has an integrated motion sensor so that it knows when to speed up or slow down to adjust the temperature in the room.

BEX Asia and MCE Asia both feature seminars, titled Green View and Mostra Xchange respectively. The seminars will kick off with the Interior Design Confederation of Singapore (IDCS) Forum, which will feature experts discussing strategies for creating living spaces that are not only functional and aesthetic, but sustainable too.

“I am honoured to be able to participate in knowledge and information exchange with my industry peers in the coming days at MCE Asia’s Mostra Xchange,” said Chan Chow Fong, Principal Engineer at ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensor Systems). “Through our intensive R&D efforts over the years, ST Electronics has garnered deep insights into energy conservation that does not compromise user experience. I look forward to sharing these, as well as our experience in designing and deploying smart lighting systems. I’m excited at the prospect of hearing from other industry experts in various fields, as we strive to create more sustainable living environments in Asia and beyond.”

Over the next few days, attendees of the Green View seminars will be hearing from experts such as Vincent Chow, CEO, En-trak Hong Kong, on How to Reduce Lighting Energy Wastage Using One Simple App, as well as Alex Lau, CEO, Anacle System, on A Bold Vision for Energy Management in the Age of IoT. At MCE Asia’s Mostra Xchange, insights will be shared by industry leaders such as Jayant Kaushal, Director – Product & Project Management Office, Camfil Singapore, on Air Filtration Types and its Correct Applications, and Stewart Tai, Manager (Sustainability & Innovation), Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore, on Air Quality & Water Sustainability in Healthcare. 

Other highlights include the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Seminar on Designing & Managing Energy Efficient Buildings, conducted by Dr Yang Junjing, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Integrated Building Energy and Sustainability in Tropics, National University of Singapore, as well as Chair of Research Promotion Committee of the ASHRAE Singapore Chapter. Dr Benny Chow, Director of Sustainability at Aedas, will also be sharing the latest research on leveraging computational tools to design people-centric, sustainable urban neighbourhoods. Dr Chow, a sustainable design expert, is also Chairman of the Industry Standards Committee of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, as well as a Committee Member and Expert Panel Member of the China Green Building Council.

In all, professionals can look forward to gain up to 11 professional development units (PDUs) through these seminars over the next two days.

Interested?

View the Instavideos on the
Step Lift from AL-SUS

Haiku polished aluminium fan from Big Ass Fans
Botanicaire air purification solution

Hashtag: #bexasia2017

*Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration

Expect healthier, greener buildings in Singapore

Tai Lee Siang, Chair, World Green Building Council, delivering a speech during the opening ceremony for SGBW.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) announced during the opening ceremony for Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) that it will roll out new initiatives stemming from a review of its third Green Building Masterplan in phases. The initiatives include enhancing the indoor environment quality for occupants, encouraging high-energy efficient buildings as well as greening existing buildings and spaces.

The news was announced by Desmond Lee, Singapore Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, guest of honour at the ceremony. Lee shared that Singapore targets to reduce carbon emissions intensity* by 36% from 2005 levels by 2030, and that one of the strategies to do so is to improve the energy efficiency in buildings.

"This is because up to a quarter of our carbon emissions come from our buildings," he explained. "So we have made it our priority to 'green' our buildings."

Tai Lee Siang, Chair, World Green Building Council, also noted that the green building movement has many benefits for Singapore. "Green building economy encourages new and innovative breakthroughs in building science and management," he said, advising industry players to take their lessons to the rest of the world.

According to Lee, a third of Singapore's buildings meet the minimum Green Mark certified standard. "We want to raise this to 80% by 2030," he said.

According to research by BCA and the National University of Singapore (NUS) on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), BCA Green Mark buildings are more energy-efficient and provide a healthier indoor environment for occupants. Green Mark buildings regulate ventilation rates (CO2 levels) and filter out fine particulates and bacteria more effectively than non-Green Mark buildings. Occupants said they were more satisfied with the indoor environment and were less likely to experience the symptoms of sick building syndrome. The results of the research will help BCA refine its criteria for future BCA Green Mark schemes, the agency said.

Momentum for the greening of buildings and the globalisation of the Green Mark certification will be sustained through:

Piloting a set of revised criteria for the Green Mark for Existing Non-Residential Buildings (GMENRB: 2017) scheme 

BCA will pilot a new set of criteria for the Green Mark for Existing Non-Residential Buildings (GMENRB: 2017) scheme for one year. These include enhanced requirements for building owners to improve the IEQ for occupants as well as adopt smart control systems to operate the buildings. One such improvement method could be using ventilation strategies to regulate the fresh air intake into a building.

"Essentially, the revised criteria will place greater emphasis on sustainable building management, health and wellbeing of building occupants, as well as smart controls," said Lee.

BCA is also exploring a new Green Mark scheme with the Health Promotion Board which will encourage good design, such as the provision of energy efficient lighting and office equipment as well as workplace health-related programmes to encourage healthy practices in offices. The new scheme aims to get companies to consider the health and wellbeing of building occupants when designing interior fit-outs and provisions of offices, as well as workplace health programmes and policies for workers.

Using technology to make buildings more energy-efficient

Singapore will work with research institutions to develop a roadmap to achieve positive energy low-rise buildings, zero energy medium-rise buildings, and super low energy high-rise buildings (PE-ZE-SLEB).

"This will help us meet the growing demand for smarter and greener buildings in our tropical and urban context," Lee said.

Intensifying efforts to strengthen and grow the green-collar workforce

BCA targets to increase the workforce to 25,000 by 2025, up from around 16,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians today and a target of 20,000 by 2020 previously in response to growing demand for green building design and technologies. This is a key trend in the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM) which is currently under development.

Improving information transparency on building energy performance

Further, BCA will disclose the energy performance data of commercial buildings, subject to owners' voluntary agreement as a follow-on to last year's round of anonymised disclosure. The organisation said this will cover roughly three-quarters of all commercial buildings in Singapore and aims to encourage building owners and facilities managers to adopt cost-effective measures to reduce the energy footprints of their buildings.

"We had asked commercial building owners whether they will voluntarily disclose their building energy performance data. The vast majority were supportive," said Lee. "We hope that this will raise awareness and spur all building owners to do more to improve their energy performance."

In addition, greater transparency for building energy data is expected to raise demand for green buildings and related services. Green building firms can expect more market opportunities both locally and regionally in areas such as energy audits and environmentally-sustainable design, as well as drive research to advance green building solutions locally and regionally, BCA said.

Hugh Lim, BCA CEO said, "BCA continues to work with stakeholders to green our built environment. In addition to our focus on energy and resource efficiency, it is timely for us to consider how good design in green buildings can impact occupants' health and sense of wellbeing. Making such benefits clear to building users will better engage them as champions of change in promoting green practices at homes, offices and schools. This will strengthen the impetus for developers and building owners to create greener and healthier spaces for the end user."

The Green Mark scheme was established in 2005 by the BCA as a set of environmental sustainability standards for buildings. The first Green Building Masterplan was created 11 years ago, with the second plan in 2009 and the third plan three years ago.

Interested?

View energy performance data for commercial buildings on BCA's website and at Singapore's open data portal. The data will be released this week.

*Emission intensity is the volume of emissions measured in relation to something else, for example emissions per unit of GDP.

Ibn Battuta Gate Office building in high demand as Expo 2020 Dubai draws nearer

Source: Seven Tides website.

As preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai gather pace, Ibn Battuta Gate Offices, owned by luxury property developer Seven Tides, is capitalising on its location in the heart of New Dubai, next to the Mövenpick Hotel, the Ibn Battuta Mall and a nearby metro station.

Interest has also heightened since an announcement was made to extend the existing Ibn Battuta Mall by 28,000 sq m at a cost of AED160 million. This will include a 350-bedroom hotel, 150 additional shops, 50 more restaurants and a 21-screen cinema.

Ibn Battuta Gate Offices is less than 30km from Dubai World Central, the Expo 2020 site and Dubai World Central Airport, and boasts a multi-storey, automated car park facility that can accommodate 765 cars.

Asteco, one of the region’s major real estate consultancy and property management firms, currently manages the Ibn Battuta Gate Offices building.

“We are now handling a steady stream of enquiries from small startups to international companies looking to set up their businesses here and we expect that to accelerate in the run-up to Expo 2020, particularly with the availability of fully fitted, fully inclusive offices with dedicated parking spaces,” said John Stevens, Managing Director, Asteco.

“Around US$7 billion has been earmarked for development and infrastructure projects linked to Expo 2020 which will effectively position the 150-hectare development as a hub in its own right, and Ibn Battuta Gate’s strategic location places it firmly in the sightline of opportunity with its ‘move-in-and-go’ setup.” 

Stevens said investment and employment creation are expected to fuel real estate market growth over the next five years with an estimated 277,000 jobs and 20 million extra visitors during the six-month long expo.

“I believe that this will have a positive effect on rental rates in the market for those developments that offer accessibility and convenience in the form of public transportation links and peripheral services such as retail, entertainment, residential and public services,” he added.