The Building & Construction Authority (BCA) has granted the Green Mark certification to about 2,000 new and existing buildings in order to give recognition for their use of eco-friendly features.
Apart from being a record number, the figure accounts for more than 24 percent of all buildings in Singapore. It also means that it is on track to green 80 percent of the buildings here by 2030.
However, older buildings have difficulties in complying with the BCA’s eco-friendly standards as it requires renovations.
For instance, the 40-year old International Plaza (pictured), which serves residential and commercial needs, had to demolish a portion of its wall so that the management can install more energy-efficient chillers, which are part of the air-conditioning system.
“LTA (Land Transport Authority) gave approval to close the Choon Guan Street area, and all the work had to be done overnight into the early hours of the morning,” said S Kunalen, Chairman of International Plaza.
Nevertheless, the building’s green makeover has slashed its electricity bills by $470,000 annually.
As for smaller buildings eyeing the Green Mark certification, BCA will help with the funding, added BCA’s CEO Dr John Keung.
These buildings may even have problems paying for the initial capital costs. “So we have a scheme, where we are tying up with some financial institutions, banks and so on, to help defray part of the costs,” he said.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons/User: Nlannuzel
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
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