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  Channel NewsAsia 25 Mar 07
Building industry may not be ready for proposed new law for green buildings: experts
By Wong Siew Ying

Today Online 21 Mar 07
Stepping up to the Mark
Govt may revise Building Act to drive environmental sustainability in Singapore

Business Times Singapore 21 Mar 07
Call to use more sustainable building methods
By Benita Aw Yeong

Channel NewsAsia 20 Mar 07
Govt may legislate Green Mark requirements on buildings

SINGAPORE: 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.

Today Online 21 Mar 07
Stepping up to the Mark
Govt may revise Building Act to drive environmental sustainability in Singapore

IS GOING green worth the cost? The Government certainly thinks so. Despite the slightly higher construction costs of environmentally-friendly buildings, it is embarking on a greater push for such buildings, with tighter legislation on the cards.

For a start, the Government is considering making changes to the Building Control Act to impose minimum requirements on environmental sustainability. These requirements would apply to new buildings and existing ones undergoing retrofitting.

"There will be some cost impact, but we believe that on an overall basis, (builders) will be able to recoup the higher upfront costs through lower operating costs over the life of the building. In fact, within a short period, they'll be able to recoup that," said Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu, at a Green Mark Seminar yesterday.

The Building Control Act could also be extended to prevent the proliferation of inefficient air- conditioning systems. This would affect buildings such as residential, institutional and industrial buildings, which were largely naturally ventilated in the past.

But even as the Government is reviewing its current regulatory framework, it is embarking on a comprehensive outreach programme to educate the public on the benefits of going green.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has launched an info-portal at www.greenmark.sg to promote the Green Mark, an award given to environmentally-friendly buildings by the BCA, as the standard for local buildings.

Said Ms Fu: "Ultimately, it is consumer demand that will motivate developers to go beyond the basic requirements to develop a highly sustainable built environment."

She urged Singapore construction firms to adopt waste-recycling measures and switch to alternative construction materials, adding that "the recent Indonesian ban on the export of concreting sand and the disruption in granite supply serve as timely wake-up calls".

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

"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," Ms Fu said. While steel structures are commonly used in the United States, only 5 per cent of buildings in Singapore are constructed using steel. — 938Live, Channel NewsAsia

Business Times Singapore 21 Mar 07
Call to use more sustainable building methods
By Benita Aw Yeong

SINGAPORE must use more sustainable building methods and materials, Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said yesterday.

'The recent Indonesian ban on export of concreting sand and the disruption in granite supply serve as timely wake-up calls,' she said at a Green Mark Seminar organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

'Instead of relying on concrete as the main construction materials, 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.'

Besides public sector initiatives in the form of regulations, incentives and funding, other measures will be introduced to help steer the real estate and construction sectors towards higher standards of sustainability, Ms Fu said.

'We are considering amending the Building Control Act to impose minimum requirements on environmental sustainability that are equivalent to the green mark certified standards for new buildings and existing ones that undergo major retrofitting,' she said.

While green buildings may cost more, the operating savings during their lifetime more than outweigh the added expense at the start, she said.

Yesterday's seminar, for professionals from the construction and real estate sectors, was held in conjunction with the launch of BCA's info-portal to promote Green Mark as the standard for local buildings.

'We can learn from the experience of countries like the UK, US, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands,' Ms Fu said.

Local speakers, and others from Japan and the US, took part in the seminar to suggest ways to upgrade Singapore's building sustainability.

Toshiaki Fujimori, senior counsellor at Japanese architectural and contracting firm Shimizu Corporation, encouraged Singapore to adopt 'wall-greening', which involves lowering a building's temperature by growing plants on the side of it.

Gary Christensen, developer of the Banner Bank Building in Boise, Idaho, said environmentally-friendly buildings make economic sense from a developer's standpoint even though they cost more to put up. A green building not only cuts maintenance expenses but raises the productivity of workers housed in it, so going green makes financial sense, he said.

Channel NewsAsia 25 Mar 07
Building industry may not be ready for proposed new law for green buildings: experts
By Wong Siew Ying

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. - CNA/ir
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