BCA-NUS Study Shows that Greening Existing Buildings Can Increase Property Value [Press Releases]

Singapore, 16 September 2011 – Retrofitting commercial buildings can lead to an increase in their property value. With an average expected savings in operating expenses of 10% resulting from the retrofitting, commercial buildings could reap an increase in capital value of about 2%. This is one of the key findings of a joint study, by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Department of Real Estate (DRE) in National University of Singapore (NUS) in collaboration with the top six real estate consultancy firms – CB Richard Ellis, Chesterton Suntec, Colliers International, DTZ Tie Leung, Jones Lang LaSalle and Knight Frank, on how green buildings can impact their property value.

2. “There is now greater awareness in the industry that the upfront cost of retrofitting energy inefficient buildings can be recovered in about 4 to 7 years,” said Mr Quek See Tiat, Chairman, BCA, at the Breakfast Talk for CEOs on the last day of the 2011 International Green Building Conference today. “However, many do not realise that another potential economic benefit is the potential enhancement in the property value for green and energy efficient buildings.” Read more

New Financing Scheme and Minimum Standards for Existing Buildings Announced at the International Green Building Conference 2011

Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin announced a new financing scheme and minimum Green Mark standards for existing buildings at today’s opening of the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2011, which is part of the annual Singapore Green Building Week.

In the Singapore Sustainable Blueprint, the government has set a target to green 80% of Singapore’s buildings by 2030. 95% of Singapore’s building stock are existing buildings. The challenge is how to green the existing buildings, given the higher cost of retrofitting and the lack of financing.

To help existing building owners overcome the barrier of high upfront retrofitting costs, BG (NS) Tan announced that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will launch a pilot scheme from 1 Oct called the Building Retrofit Energy Efficiency Financing (BREEF) Scheme. Read more

Green buildings help sustain Asia’s growth [News]

By Rod Leaver, The Business Times, 14 Sep 2011.

This week marks the opening of Singapore’s third Green Building Week since it was established in 2009. Yet, in many ways, this amazing nation-state has already leapt ahead of its time to reflect what future green cities in Asia can look like as the region strives to adopt the kind of sustainable practices that are vital for maintaining long-term development and growth.

Going green is not some lofty ideal. A sustainable built environment is all about using our available resources more efficiently which, in turn, lowers costs in the long term.

The basic unit of a sustainable built environment is a green building. Buildings have become our standard dwellings and we spend a significant amount of time in them, making a critical impact on the environment. Read more

BCA extends its Green Mark certification to restaurants [Press Releases]

1. BCA is extending its Green Mark scheme to another category beyond, or rather, within buildings – the restaurants. In the latest initiative to raise greater awareness of the importance of users’ sustainability thinking and behavior within buildings, BCA awarded five restaurants with the BCA Green Mark – the national green certification for buildings and one of the world’s first green building rating system to be developed for the tropical environment.

2. Four outlets of global restaurant chain McDonald’s were amongst this pioneer batch of restaurants to receive the accolade. They were also McDonald’s first restaurants to be certified ‘green’ in Asia. American-style diner Brewerkz at Riverside Point is the other recipient of the Green Mark certification. Read more

Restaurants awarded BCA Green Mark certification [News]

By Channel NewsAsia, 12 Sep 2011.

Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) announced on Monday that it is extending its Green Mark scheme to restaurants.

Four McDonald’s outlets and an American-style diner, Brewerkz, were the first restaurants to be awarded the BCA Green Mark – the national green certification for buildings.

BCA said its new Green Mark for Restaurants scheme was introduced as a result of McDonald’s interest to “green” their restaurants as an extension of their global green strategy.

The McDonald’s outlet at Jurong Central Park, Asia’s first restaurant to be awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum – the highest rating for green buildings – was conceptualised as a green building even before it was built. Read more

Green Mark building scheme gets UN attention [News]

By Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2011.

You might not have noticed, but Singapore’s buildings have been getting greener.

Across the island, 840 have been awarded the Green Mark – which certifies them as environmentally friendly.

The programme has come a long way since it was launched in 2005. That year, only 17 buildings were given this stamp of approval.

But since then, more offices and homes – both existing and new – have been brought up to standard, adopting measures such as energy efficient air-conditioning and meeting targets on recycling.

The United Nations was so impressed by the Green Mark scheme, it wants to work with the Building and Construction Authority, which runs it. This tie-up could involve research and training programmes to promote environmentally friendly buildings, and an agreement is due to be signed on Wednesday. Read more

Environmental Sustainability in the Building Sector Receives a Strong Boost [Press Releases]

Build Eco Xpo (BEX Asia) Poised to Facilitate Further Development in the Green Building Arena with Showcase of Green Building Solutions

SINGAPORE, August 31, 2011 – Singapore’s green building sector is set to receive a strong boost as the region’s premiere green building expo, BEX Asia 2011, returns for the fourth consecutive year with a stellar showcase of the latest green products and solutions for the building sector.

Part of the line-up of events for the Singapore Green Building Week hosted by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA), BEX Asia will be held in Singapore from 14-16 September 2011 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre. The event will showcase green building architecture, design, products, practices and technologies for environmental sustainability presented by more than 250 exhibitors from about 30 countries. Last year’s event attracted 7,000 visitors and saw a whopping USD74.5 million (SGD 89.75 million) worth of sales generated. This year’s event is set to generate even greater interest with a record of 8,000 visitors expected. Read more

International Green Building Conference 2011 to Explore Innovative, Sustainable, and Actionable Green Building Solutions Especially for the Tropics and Sub-Tropics [Press Releases]

Singapore, 16 August 2011 – The main highlight of the Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW), the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2011, will see industry experts and practitioners, and policy-makers from across the Asia-Pacific and North America gather in Singapore from 13 to 16 September 2011. Together, they will address challenges and explore solutions in green building development, including innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions for the tropics and sub-tropics.

Organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the government agency responsible for the built environment and green building policies1 in Singapore, IGBC 2011 is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants – from real estate developers to urban planners, architects, engineers and other industry professionals – committed to understanding and putting into action real-world, tangible green building solutions. Also present at the conference will be policy-makers and key government officials from several growth markets, specially invited by the BCA, who will give their unique public sector perspective on green building solutions, policies and plans. Read more

The Green Business Times Guide to Singapore Government Funding and Incentives for the Environment

Singapore is well-known as a clean and green city with the government striving for environmental sustainability while growing the economy. The government has also identified Environmental and Water Technologies (EWT) including Clean Energy as strategic areas where Singapore has a competitive edge and which could generate future economic growth.

To accelerate the growth of the environmental industry and to maintain Singapore’s image as a clean and green city, the government has initiated several funding and incentive schemes related to energy efficiency, clean energy, green buildings, water and environmental technologies, green transport, waste minimisation, environmental management system, environmental initiatives, clean development mechanism, and green IT.

The funding and incentive schemes are provided by government agencies such as:

• Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
• Economic Development Board (EDB)
• Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)
• Land Transport Authority (LTA)
• Energy Market Authority (EMA)
• National Environment Agency (NEA)
• National Parks Board (NParks)
• PUB, the national water agency (PUB)
• SPRING Singapore (SPRING)
• Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

To help businesses understand what’s available, we have compiled a list of 33 government funding and incentives for the environment:

1. Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASe)
2. Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET)
3. One-Year Accelerated Depreciation Allowance for Energy Efficient Equipment and Technology (One-Year ADAS)
4. Design for Efficiency Scheme (DfE)
5. SCEM Training Grant
6. Clean Energy Research and Testbedding Programme (CERT)
7. Energy Research Development Fund (ERDF)
8. Solar Capability Scheme (SCS)
9. Market Development Fund
10. Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings (GMIS-EB)
11. Green Mark Incentive Scheme for New Buildings (GMIS-NB)
12. Green Mark Incentive Scheme – Design Prototype (GMIS-DP)
13. Green Mark Gross Floor Area Incentive Scheme (GM-GFA)
14. MND Research Fund for the Built Environment
15. A*STAR-MND Joint Grant Call
16. Pilot Incentive Scheme for Green Roofs
17. Gross Floor Area Incentives for Outdoor Refreshment Area on Rooftops
18. Water Efficiency Fund (WEF)
19. Fast-Track Environmental and Water Technologies Incubator Scheme (Fast-Tech)
20. Technology Pioneer (TechPioneer) Scheme
21. Incentive for Research and Innovation Scheme (IRIS)
22. Environmental Technology Capability Development Programme (EnviroTech CDP)
23. Innovation Voucher Scheme
24. Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) Fund
25. Land Transport Innovation Fund (LTIF)
26. Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR)
27. Transport Technology Innovation and Development Scheme (TIDES+)
28. 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Fund
29. Environment Technology Research Programme (ETRP)
30. Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme (LETAS)
31. 3P Partnership Fund
32. Clean Development Mechanism Documentation Grant
33. Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme (iLEAD)

If we missed out any funding or incentive scheme, do let us know. Thanks! Read more

New BCA-SGBC Awards Recognise Individuals’ Contributions to Singapore’s Sustainable Built Environment [Press Releases]

Four distinguished individuals from the building industry were lauded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) for their continual and outstanding contributions towards the sustainability of Singapore’s built environment. They will receive the inaugural BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards at the BCA Awards 2011.

2 The winners were selected from a total of 35 candidates for the four award categories, namely Green Architect, Green Engineer, Green Advocate and Green Innovator. They were assessed by a well-represented panel of judges led by CEO, BCA, Dr. John Keung and Er. Lee Chuan Seng, the immediate past Chairman of SGBC. The panel of judges comprises established professionals and individuals from the public and private sectors who are actively involved in Singapore’s green building journey. The four winners stood out because they have shown strong commitment, conviction and significant achievements in propelling environmental sustainability in their respective areas of works. They are: Read more

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