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  Straits Times Forum 18 Jun 07
Indoor temperature ideally 22.5-25.5 deg C
Letter from NEA and BCA

Straits Times Forum 8 Jun 07
Beat the heat but tune down the air-con
Letter from Vincent Ng Teck Soon

RECENTLY I visited a mega-supermarket in the heartlands and while the temperature outside was a hot 33 deg C, the air-conditioners made the place much colder than expected.

While the fresh-food section may require such temperatures, do the other sections of the supermarket selling electronic goods and fabrics need to be so cold? Is it not a waste of energy to make buildings much colder than they needed to be?

A Japanese friend of mine commented on the indoor temperatures in Singapore when he visited recently: The difference between the temperature outdoors and that indoor was so great that it was difficult to dress appropriately. Anything worn to suit the outside heat was too thin for the cold temperature indoor, while anything worn to fight off the cold was probably going to make one sweat a lot more when walking outdoors.

In a bid to conserve energy, and do a little for the environment, the Japanese government has decreed that all government agencies set their air-conditioners to no colder than 28 deg C during summer. Workers are allowed to dress down to suit the summer heat. They are not expected to turn up in suit and tie anymore; short-sleeved shirts will do just fine.

Can we not follow suit and save some energy, and save ourselves from the dilemma of wearing jackets in a country which has summer all year round?

Straits Times Forum 18 Jun 07
Indoor temperature ideally 22.5-25.5 deg C
Letter from NEA and BCA
Ong Seng Eng Director, Resource Conservation Department National Environment Agency Tan Tian Chong Director, Technology Development Building and Construction Authority

WE REFER to the letter, 'Beat the heat but tune down the air-con' by Mr Vincent Ng Teck Soon (ST, June 8) and would like to thank the writer for his feedback.

We agree it is a waste of energy, as well as money, to over-cool buildings. Further, building occupants suffer unnecessary discomfort from the low indoor temperature.

The Singapore Standard CP 13 (Code of Practice for mechanical ventilation and air- conditioning in buildings) specifies that thermal comfort is achieved when the indoor temperature is maintained between 22.5 and 25.5 deg C, with average relative humidity not exceeding 70 per cent.

We recommend the upper end of this range for energy efficiency. By raising the indoor air-conditioning temperature by just 1 deg C, we can save up to 4 per cent of air-conditioning cooling energy, which results in energy and cost savings for building owners.

Building owners and managers should monitor the indoor temperature of their buildings to avoid over-cooling.

To assist building owners and managers to evaluate their energy consumption and identify measures to save energy and money, the National Environment Agency (NEA) administers an Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme which provides financial assistance to building owners to carry out an energy audit of their buildings or facilities.

Building owners can apply for funding grants of up to 50 per cent of the cost of engaging an energy services company to undertake energy audits to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

Energy efficiency is also an important criterion under the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark certification.

Under this criterion, the BCA awards points to a building whose orientation, facade and air-conditioning system are designed to minimise energy consumption without compromising indoor conditions for thermal comfort.

To promote energy conservation and environmental sustainability, the BCA plans to impose minimum requirements that are equivalent to Green Mark-certified standards for new buildings and existing buildings that undergo major retrofitting.
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