Singapore has long been acknowledged as a centre for sustainability and energy efficiency in real estate and the built environment. With the implementation of the Green Mark Certification programme by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the industry continually strives to keep ahead of global trends in building environmentally friendly structures and communities.
Currently, about 55%2 of buildings in Singapore are utilising Energy Management Systems (EMS) , which accounts for 37% of the nation’s total electricity consumption.1 To achieve the nation’s sustainability goals and promote smart city development, it is important to adopt EMS in every aspect of building operation across all sectors.
The Benefits of Utilising EMS for Buildings
Managing electricity consumption has always been a major focus for households, offices, and building owners alike. They use readily available and easy-to-install technology and devices to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining their capacity to operate at a normal level.
These technologies include basic elements such as power-saving LED bulbs, motion-sensitive light switches, inverter-type air conditioning systems, and solar-powered water heaters. More advanced energy-saving systems incorporate heat recovery equipment to improve ventilation and circulation in a building.3
The use of solar panels, while not directly reducing overall electricity consumption, helps relieve the grid of demand during daytime peak consumption. Installing these panels also has the added benefit of deflecting heat away from rooftops of buildings directly exposed to sunlight.
Functioning individually, these energy-saving systems and devices work but their effectiveness is constrained by human factors. Incorporating EMS into buildings is the next step in energy reduction and management. Here are three key benefits:
1. Potentially Significant Energy Cost Savings.
EMS allows building owners to monitor, manage, and improve energy usage using information and data. By incorporating EMS, buildings can potentially save up to 29% of total energy costs.4
Optimised HVAC Systems: The biggest application for EMS is with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, which account for 50% of total electricity consumption in buildings in Singapore. 5EMS allows building owners and operators to monitor, regulate, and optimise the operations of their HVAC systems. They maximise energy efficiency by considering occupancy, weather conditions and time of day, helping to reduce energy wastage. It ensures that empty rooms are not constantly cooled, while areas that are more crowded receive adequate cooling.
Optimised Solar Energy Systems: An EMS can optimise a building’s solar energy system by configuring it for correct time-of-use settings. This means utilising the solar power stored in the batteries during times of peak power usage when power rates are higher (typically at night), while using grid-supplied electricity during the day when rates are lower.6
2.Predictive Maintenance of Expensive Equipment.
A building incorporating EMS will be able to increase the lifespan and useability of its equipment and devices through incorporation of predictive maintenance using data and analytics.
For HVAC systems, which traditionally make up one of the largest costs in building construction, proper maintenance is key to realising cost savings over the long-term. Parts such as air filters, thermostats, capacitors, and blower motors must be replaced ahead of time before they become unusable or broken.
EMS ensures proper data on the use of HVAC systems is gathered. This allows building owners and operators to monitor usage and automatically schedule maintenance, minimising unexpected downtimes and improving tenant and homeowner satisfaction.
3.Compliance with the BCA’s Green Mark Certification Programme.
By demonstrating their commitment to sustainable business practices and environmental protection, building owners and operators utilising EMS can qualify certifications under the Green Mark Programme.
The BCA’s Green Mark certification provides cash incentives to building owners who achieve higher energy efficiency standards that help reduce the overall cost of construction.7 These incentives can reach as much as S$1.2 million for buildings attaining the highest level of energy efficiency, called Green Mark Zero Energy.8
Receiving a Green Mark certification from the BCA also gives building owners and operators an advantage over non-compliant developments. Those with Green Mark certification typically enjoy premiums on rental rates, while new companies increasingly seek office space in buildings that incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day operations.
EMS Puts Singapore on a Path to Achieve its Green Plan 2030
The Green Plan 2030 is a nationwide effort to advance Singapore’s agenda of sustainable development. One of its key pillars is an Energy Reset, where the government aims to use cleaner energy across all sectors.
Beyond the goal of expanding Singapore’s solar energy generating capacity and exploring the use of hydrogen, promoting green buildings with the help of the BCA is another area of focus for the Energy Reset. The BCA’s Singapore Green Building Masterplan (SGBMP) calls for the greening of 80% of buildings in Singapore by 2030.9
With only 55% of buildings having been greened as of 2022, the BCA will be stepping up its efforts to enforce the environmental sustainability standards on remaining buildings and those yet to be constructed.
Building owners must benchmark their energy performance against similar buildings and then take necessary steps to improve their energy efficiency. To do this more effectively, building owners must incorporate EMS into their building’s energy infrastructure.
To achieve these targets, owners of older buildings in Singapore are increasingly turning to open protocol for energy management. Open protocols, openly published and accessible to all, are supported by various entities including corporations, user groups, professional societies, and governments.10
By adopting open protocol energy management solutions, old buildings can seamlessly integrate new energy systems with old infrastructure. As old buildings tend to have outdated HVAC equipment, poor lighting systems, and centralised water heaters, they stand to reap the biggest gains initially from EMS use.
However, older buildings tend to face financial hurdles when adopting new systems that can be costly to purchase and implement. Others lack the proper awareness and appreciation for the urgency to adopt more sustainable measures for one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
It’s therefore critical for the Singapore government to establish clear policy frameworks, including incentives and efficiency standards, to accelerate the transition towards sustainable real estate development.
It’s also important for building owners, tenants, and investors to seek out proper advice from qualified and experienced professionals who can help them navigate the path set forth by Singapore’s sustainability goals.
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