Seeing the green light

By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop

Green could soon be the required colour to sport for Singaporean developers. The government is now looking at mandating requirements on environmental sustainability for all new buildings and existing properties undergoing major retrofitting works to meet the equivalent of the Green Mark Certification level. New public buildings have been required to meet this standard since April.

The Green Mark, launched by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in January 2005, is awarded to buildings that have achieved certain standards in terms of energy and water efficiency, site and project management, indoor environmental quality and environmental innovations. Depending on the score, the rating is categorised in four levels: Platinum, Gold Plus, Gold and Certified.

According to Tan Tian Chong, Director of Technology Development at BCA, Platinum Green Mark buildings can reduce energy bills by at least 30% while improving the air quality around and within them with the use of say roof gardens, for example. He pointed out that energy efficient light fittings such as ‘T8’ or ‘T5’ fluorescent lamps, which are reasonably priced yet offer high brightness, can save energy by up to 40%, while LED lighting can reduce energy usage by as much as 80% when compared with traditional lighting.

A recent report published by the UK-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors points to clear links between green building practices and value. The report suggests that green buildings in the UK are more readily leased, command higher rents, have higher tenant retention rates and generally enjoy lower operating costs.

Anecdotal evidence here is beginning to confirm some of these findings. Tan Tock Seng Hospital saves an estimated S$410,000 a year on energy bills after going green. Measures included redesigning the operating theatre air-con system to allow staff to switch from ‘full operation’ mode to ‘economy’ mode when operating theatres are not in use and installing a dual sensor (CO2 and temperature) system to control the basement car park’s mechanical ventilation.

Clarke Quay’s climate-control canopies over the open-air walkways, which are made from thermal plastic cushions, should save about S$1.5 million in energy and maintenance cost over five years, estimates Dawn Tan, Clarke Quay’s Centre Manager. The innovative technology was also more cost effective than the conventional method of covering the walkways with glass and air-conditioning the space, saving S$5 million.

The price of going green
So far, the pickup rate for Green Mark in the private sector has been fairly limited with only 34 buildings marked accordingly as of early April. Tan, however, has noted a recent pick up in applications. “The response from big developers has been encouraging,” he says.

One of the main concerns for many developers in going green is increased cost. Tan acknowledged that meeting the minimum BCA Green Mark requirement might add on average 1-2% to the total building cost, rising to 5% to meet the higher benchmarks. But he also pointed out that if the green building design is done at the early stage to incorporate good practice such as building orientation, sunshade, open ventilation and lighting concepts, the increase in costs will be insignificant.

Eddie Wong, General Manager (Projects) at City Developments Limited (CDL), agreed. “With early and efficient planning, buildings can be both environmentally sustainable and a sound financial success as well,” Wong said. “CDL invests approximately 3-5% of construction cost to design and build green buildings. However, the returns are immense, not just in terms of savings in water and energy bills but also in making a difference to helping conserve precious resources for the benefit of future generations.”

Wong Hooe Wai, Chairman of CapitaLand´s recently former Green Committee, also pointed out that while the initial cost may be higher, one has to look at the “life cycle cost” of the building. “For example, some studies show that there could be a 5% increase in initial cost, but in the long run, there could be savings equivalent to 20% of total construction cost during the life cycle of the building,” he said. “With market demand and continuous research, prices of green features are expected to continue to come down. So there is a compelling case for going green.”

Government incentives
The government is determined to encourage the ‘greening’ of buildings further and recently announced the establishment of a S$20 million Green Mark Incentive Scheme to encourage private-sector buildings to achieve the higher Green Mark ratings. It has also allocated S$50 million for research and development in green technologies for the next five years.

Grace Fu, Minister of State for National Development, has pointed out that the recent Indonesian ban on the export of concreting sand and the disruption in granite supply served as timely wake-up calls. “We must quickly make a switch to sustainable construction,” she said. “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. We should also promote the recycling and re-use of construction materials.”

Today, only about 5% of Singapore´s buildings are constructed using steel, compared with 70% and 25% use for commercial and residential projects respectively in the UK. Construction and demolition waste are also mostly used for filling up excavations, while in countries like Japan or Germany, it’s mandatory to recycle and re-use such waste for other construction works.

Further changes in legislation are anticipated. The Building Control Act currently has mandatory Envelope Thermal Transfer Value (ETTV) requirements for air-conditioned buildings only. This means that act only covers 9% of the total floor area of 208 million sqm in Singapore, Tan explained. The ETTV requirement is aimed at achieving the design of an adequately insulated building envelope so as to cut down external heat gain and hence reduce the cooling load of air-conditioning systems.

Singapore has one of the highest heat emission rates, mainly due to air conditioning. “Given the current rate of buildings getting the BCA green mark, and being on the optimistic side, it will take at least 40 years to Green Mark 80% of our buildings, which is why I think we need to legislate,” Tan said.

“Making the Green Mark mandatory is a move in the right direction as it will be a win-win situation for all stakeholders,” said CDL’s Wong. “For those who need a carrot to convince them of the benefits, the monetary incentive is certainly a bonus. But of course, these incentives offered are only the icing on the cake. Ultimately, stakeholders must have a change in mindset, a corporate philosophy, a commitment.”