SINGAPORE : Singapore will construct its first zero-energy building (ZEB) at Braddell Road to promote green technology. S$10 million will be spent to retrofit an existing facility to incorporate some of the latest energy-efficient inventions.
It’s being hailed as the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) flagship project under its Green Building Masterplan. The building is able to generate as much electricity as it consumes through renewable energy. This works out to a net energy consumption of zero over a typical year.
The BCA said the 3,000-sq metre building is expected to be 60 percent more energy efficient than conventional buildings. BCA added that most of the zero-energy buildings in the world are built from scratch, but the one to be constructed at the BCA Academy will be the first in the region to be retrofitted from an existing building built in 1994. The number of solar panels to be installed around the facility will also be the largest in Southeast Asia.
The solar cells called photovoltaic cells on the roof and facade of the building will convert light into enough electricity in a day to power 32 five-room flats. This will be used to power artificial lights, office equipment and air-conditioning.
The solar panels which constitute about 15% of the building cost will be funded by the Economic Development Board (EDB). Because 60 percent of utility bills usually goes into air-conditioning, the BCA is working with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to develop ventilation strategies to lower energy consumption.
All in, these technologies will help to cut operating cost. The expected savings are $48,000 per annum from the energy efficiency gains, and $36,000 from the usage of solar panels.
This is one fine example of an area of research that is bearing early fruits of success. However, they are still not ripe for the picking. The conventional form is cheaper, but it is definitely far more pollutive. New technology enables the entire compound to be completely self-sufficient. This means that there is no pollutants produced in the process of producing electrical energy since it is simply a conversion from light to electricity.
Information from ChannelNewsAsia
Filed under: Energy, Science | Tagged: Energy, Energy Saving, enviroment, Science, Singapore, Technology
