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  Straits Times 5 Jun 07
'Zero-energy building' in the works
A first for S'pore, it will generate as much energy as it utilises
By Jessica Cheam

SINGAPORE will soon have its first zero-energy building (ZEB) - one that produces as much energy as it consumes from renewable sources.

This highly energy-efficient building will be as environmentally friendly as it gets: Its net energy consumption is expected to be zero over a typical year. This means that even though it might draw power from a normal grid, it will feed back into that grid the same amount from clean energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines.

The Straits Times understands that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is currently working with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to transform an existing block at the BCA Academy in Braddell into a ZEB. It will be powered by solar panels but will also be connected to the power grid.

The concept of ZEBs has taken the world by storm, especially in countries in the northern hemisphere. Canada, the United States, Germany and Switzerland are among those that have completed such projects to showcase the latest state-of-the-art green technologies.

Professor Lee Siew Eang, who is leading the Singapore project, said the ZEB is one of the key ways to reduce carbon emissions and cut the world's dependence on fossil fuels.

'As clean energy still fulfils only a small percentage of the world's energy needs, the immediate solution is to make our buildings very energy-efficient,' said Prof Lee, director of the Centre for Total Building Performance at NUS.

ZEBs can show the public what green technologies exist and how they work, he added.

Regionally, Singapore is already behind. Countries such as China, Japan and Thailand have already begun constructing their own ZEBs.

Malaysia's 'PTM Zero Energy Office Building' is due to be completed in the next three months. PTM stands for Pusat Tenaga Malaysia - the country's national energy research centre.

Mr Daniel Ruoss, a United Nations Development Programme consultant for the Malaysian project, told The Straits Times that the building will generate enough electricity from its integrated solar panels for the use of its 111 staff - occupying 4,200 sq m of office space - making it self-sufficient. Moreover, it will need only 10 per cent of the electricity required for a normal building.

To achieve this 90 per cent savings in energy, the building will use specific design features and technology such as highly efficient lighting systems, floor slab cooling, double-glazed windows, and thermal walls at its east- and west-facing facades to mitigate outdoor temperatures.

Singapore's ZEB will be unique, said Prof Lee. Besides being self-sufficient, this building will have a 'plug-and-play' feature in which new green technologies can be tried and tested, and the results documented.

The completion of the ZEB here has yet to be determined but the BCA said it would provide more information as soon as details are finalised.

Prof Lee added: 'Hopefully by adopting and showcasing these methods, we can convince other building owners to join us on this green journey.'
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