Adopt Green IT and Green Computing Practices

Green IT or green computing usually refers to making the data centre and other IT system or equipment more energy efficient, and to reduce the environmental impacts associated with IT, such as recycling of computing equipment.

You can adopt the following Green IT practices on energy efficiency in your organisation’s data centre, energy efficient office equipment, energy saving tips and recycling of used electronic equipment. Read more

SIEW 2009: Singapore Energy Lecture by Dr Daniel Yergin

The Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2009 opens today at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, with the delivery of the Singapore Energy Lecture by Dr Daniel Yergin, an international energy expert; Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power; and Chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates (IHS CERA), an energy research consultancy.

The annual SIEW is a leading energy conference that provides a platform for policymakers, business leaders and academics to exchange ideas, strategies and best practices that will help shape global and industry energy agendas. Jointly organized by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Energy Studies Institute (ESI), SIEW features a comprehensive schedule of clean energy-focused conferences, exhibitions and networking sessions from a diverse cross-section of energy industry leaders.

SIEW 2009 builds on the theme, “Clean Energy: Sustainable Solutions for Urban Cities” to address pertinent energy issues affecting the world today. More than 1,800 companies and over 5,000 participants have registered for the various events during the week. Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, also shared his views on the need to balance global energy needs and climate change in a video message to participants at the SIEW 2009.

In Dr Yergin’s lecture this morning, he predicted that:

If the 20th century was the Century of Oil, the 21st century will be the Century of Energy Innovation. This intense push for innovation is driven by two powerful forces – the quest for clean energy and the need to provide energy for economic growth.

This reality is nowhere more vivid than in Asia, the center of economic growth. As Asia becomes an increasingly integrated economy, meeting these needs is not just a national issue, but a regional issue. It is a foundation for regional economic growth in this increasingly-interconnected region. And it is an urgent issue.

Dr Yergin shared his views on peak oil and said that the world is not running out of oil as the capacity is growing and people tend to underestimate the impact of technology. He highlighted four big changes:

1. Oil is now a financial instrument, which means greater volatility
2. The globalization of oil demand, where demand growth will come from emerging markets
3. Climate change and growing pressures
4. Technological innovation and the application of technology to energy

Dr Yergin said that the economic recovery is still in its “early days” and it is very important to facilitate global trade, which will stimulate economic growth. Climate change initiatives coming out of the Copenhagen conference next month and thereafter should reflect a “spirit of cooperation” and avoid becoming confrontational and disruptive to trade, which could have very serious unintended economic and political consequences. He emphasized that Copenhagen is not a treaty but a process.

Dr Yergin shared that Asia is in the lead for battery technology and electric vehicles, and that 60% of nuclear construction is in Asia. Natural gas is also going to become a more important part of the energy mix both in Asia and in the world because of its abundance and its attractive attributes as a fuel. Dr Yergin said that:

In the next few years, Asia will see substantial growth in use of natural gas in the form of LNG – liquefied natural gas. The world’s capacity to produce LNG will grow by 50 percent in the period 2008 to 2012.

Dr Yergin concluded that the real growth story in energy is energy efficiency. It is the biggest and easiest way for mitigating climate change. He also noted that Singapore’s role as the “energy crossroad” – both intellectually and in terms of physical supply – goes back to 1892, when the first shipment of oil was unloaded in Singapore. He could see Singapore leading in energy efficiency and smart grids in the future.

Seminar on Low Carbon Growth

Green Business Times was invited to the seminar on Low Carbon Growth yesterday. The seminar was organised by the British High Commission to discuss about high growth through low carbon means, with a focus on energy efficiency. The keynote address was presented by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, which describes Singapore’s challenges, strategies and opportunities for climate change.

At the seminar, there were also the launch of a new website and a new film. Eco-Business.com is a new website by Jessica Cheam, offering news on the environment and climate change issues for Asia Pacific’s business community, and supported by the British High Commission and Singapore Environment Council.

The new film, High Stakes, was based on the Asian Development Bank’s recent report and presents the economics of climate change in Southeast Asia and highlights the actions needed for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Speakers presented on the following topics:

• High Growth Potential Using Low Carbon Means by Mr Suphachol Suphachalasai, Economist, Asian Development Bank
• Energy Efficiency – Business Opportunities Across Asia Pacific by Mr Frederick Crampe, Managing Director, ReEx Capital Asia
• CARE for Energy Efficiency – a programmatic CDM project by Mr William Pazos, Managing Director of Standard Bank and Mr Kes Shotam, Senior Managing Director, Climate Resources Exchange
• Developing Energy Efficiency in Singapore by Mr Lee Eng Lock, General Manager, Energy Division, Trane Singapore
• Scaling UP Ultra-Efficient Systems and Buildings by Mr Thomas Hartman, Founder, The Hartman Company, USA

Mr Suphachalasai emphasised that Southeast Asia should play an important part in working towards global action on climate change, given the high stakes involved and the vulnerabilities in this region. There is also a need for strengthening policy and planning coordination among the different ministries and levels of government.

Mr Crampe discussed about a report on the business guide to energy efficiency in Asia Pacific. The report studied 12 Asia Pacific countries and ranked them by which country provided the most conducive environments for energy efficiency projects and with the most business opportunities. China ranked first in being the most conducive, followed by India, Philippines and Singapore. He also highlighted the barriers to financing energy efficiency, including: low priority for end-users; small ESCO (energy service companies) industry; and the lack of commercial interest from financial institutions.

Mr Pazos and Mr Shotam shared the new programme of activities (POA) being developed under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows building owners and facility owners to participate together in a single programme of activities to improve the energy efficiency of their chiller plants and produce carbon credits.

Mr Lee is at his usual controversial best (in the good sense) to point out that green buildings are not necessarily energy efficient, and shared some mistakes of buildings in terms of how they locate cooling towers, not having enough measurements and monitoring, oversizing chiller units, using an inefficient technology, etc. He emphasised the need for governments to ask for energy specifications better than the current standards when awarding tenders, and to put in place specific targets and punishments if the targets are not met.

Mr Hartman discussed about the impediments to achieving ultra-efficient buildings, which includes: energy costs are not a major factor in the economics of most buildings; utilities continue to focus on increased energy sales to meet financial goals; and there is little accountability for achieving and maintaining efficient energy performance in buildings. He concluded with suggestions to upscale building efficiency: develop standards for building energy use that can be verified monthly for utility bill info; provide preferential rates to those who meet the standards and provide excess use charges to those whose use is well above the standards; and to create a fund from the excess use charges to assist in improving inefficient buildings.

The Green Business Times Guide to 30 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)
• 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 30 government funding and incentives for the environment:

1. Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASe)
2. Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET)
3. Accelerated Depreciation Tax Allowance
4. Design for Efficiency Scheme (DfE)
5. SCEM Training Grant
6. Clean Energy Research and Testbedding Programme (CERT)
7. Clean Energy Research Programme (CERP)
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 Gross Floor Area Incentive Scheme (GM-GFA)
13. MND Research Fund for the Built Environment
14. Pilot Incentive Scheme for Green Roofs
15. Gross Floor Area Incentives for Outdoor Refreshment Area on Rooftops
16. Water Efficiency Fund (WEF)
17. Fast-Track Environmental and Water Technologies Incubator Scheme (Fast-Tech)
18. Technology Pioneer (TechPioneer) Scheme
19. Incentive for Research and Innovation Scheme (IRIS)
20. Environmental Technology Capability Development Programme (EnviroTech CDP)
21. Innovation Voucher Scheme
22. Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) Fund
23. Land Transport Innovation Fund (LTIF)
24. Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR)
25. 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Fund
26. Environment Technology Research Programme (ETRP)
27. Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme (LETAS)
28. 3P Partnership Fund
29. Clean Development Mechanism Documentation Grant
30. Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme (iLEAD)

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

Speech by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources at Committee of Supply Debate 2009

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, gave his speech at the annual Committee of Supply Debate yesterday in Parliament. He covered the following topics:

• Sustainable Development & Resource Efficiency
• Climate Change, Energy Efficiency & Solar Energy
• Managing Water Demand
• Recycling
• Enhancing Capabilities and Building Long-Term Competitiveness
• Air Quality
• Noise
• Dengue & Chikungunya
• Public Cleanliness and Littering
• Hawker Centres
• Cleanliness of Food Outlets, Toilets and Waste Collection
• ABC Waters Programme & Marina Barrage

Summary of Key Issues

Given the global downturn, the ability to grow the economy in a sustainable way has become more, not less, relevant. Continuing to achieve good growth while maintaining a good environment will require first, the prudent use of natural resources, second, building capability in the environmental sector, and third, protecting our environment to ensure environmental standards do not slip, and even improve.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) will release its report in March, including the $1 billion budget for sustainable development.

The preliminary results of the 2-year study by NEA to understand the long-term effects of climate change, indicate that Singapore’s existing infrastructure is sufficient to address the risks in the short to medium term.

Companies are already implementing energy efficiency measures with funding such as the Design for Efficiency scheme to co-fund workshops to design energy efficient facilities, and the Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies to co-fund up to 50% of the cost of energy efficient equipment or technology.

The government is taking the lead on energy efficiency and is on track to meet its goal of conducting energy audits for all government buildings with more than 15,000 square metres of air-conditioned floor area by March 2010.

NEA will implement Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for household air-conditioners and refrigerators by 2011 to remove the least efficient models (1-tick and 2-tick range) from the market.

Solar energy is still more costly than conventional grid electricity generated from fossil fuels, but prices are expected to come down as the technology matures. To build up our capabilities for future adoption when it is cost-effective to do so, we will continue to research and test-bed such new technologies.

The Four National Taps strategy provides Singapore with NEWater and desalinated water options during dry weather, thus improving the drought resilience of the water supply system. But it is still important for Singaporeans to conserve water and use it efficiently.

Taps, urinals and dual-flush low capacity flushing cisterns (LCFCs) installed in new developments and existing premises undergoing renovation from July 2009 must have at least a one-tick water efficiency rating. In addition, all new domestic premises and existing ones undergoing renovation have to use dual-flush LCFCs from July 2009.

For water efficiency projects under the Water Efficiency Fund, PUB has increased the co-funding for SMEs from 50% to 80% of the cost of qualifying projects. PUB will also help SMEs to defray part of the retrofitting costs involved in switching to NEWater, and help them reduce their water bills by providing free constant flow regulators and spray nozzles.

The participation rate in the National Recycling Programme (NRP) has increased from 15% in 2001 to 63% in 2008.

Since 2007, there are 1,600 centralized recycling bins at HDB estates and one for every five blocks of HDB flats. The average amount of recyclables collected from each set of bins increased from 65 kg per month in 2007 to 103 kg per month for 2008.

NEA targets to achieve full implementation for the mandatory provision of recycling receptacles in condominium and private apartments by the end of 2009.

Singapore’s recycling rate has improved from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008 and we are on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target of 60%.

NEA will be launching a $8 million 3R Fund to co-fund new waste minimisation and recycling projects. The fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs and subject to a cap of $1 million per project.

We are aware that some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling. In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking at introducing legislation in the near future as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households. However, in the longer term, we will study the use of legislation to further improve our recycling rate.

The Ministry is developing a plan to turn Semakau landfill into an Eco Park, where companies can conduct field testing of renewable and clean technologies.

The Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR) Scheme will be extended by another 2 years till 31 December 2011. Through the GVR scheme, the number of green vehicles such as CNG and hybrid vehicles has increased to more than 5,400 as at end 2008. This is about 1% of the total car population.

There are now 3 CNG refuelling stations and this is expected to increase to 5 by the end of this year with the opening of stations at Serangoon North and Toh Tuck.

Under the ABC Waters Programme, 27 projects will be carried out across Singapore by 2012 to transform our drains, canals and reservoirs into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes integrated into our neighbourhoods.

We have a shared responsibility to ensure sustainable development. Companies can develop and deploy technologies and products that are more environmentally- friendly than today, and incorporate environmental considerations into their operations and procedures. Citizens must embrace a lifestyle that considers the environment and limits resource consumption in their daily lives. Government will promote sustainability by setting an example, demonstrating our commitment, and involving people.

Sustainable development is a long-term process with long-term objectives. It means focusing on the horizon, rather than quick fixes; targeting prevention now, rather than putting right later; caring for the environment as part of our choices today, rather than dealing with the consequences of neglect down the line.

Source: Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

Singapore Energy Efficiency Investment Forum

November 6, 2008
9:00 am	to	5:00 pm

Venue : Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882

The Singapore Energy Efficiency Investment Forum is organised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS). This forum will help participants to understand the policies and developments in energy efficiency, the sources of financing and investment, and the various ESCOs in the market. For details and registration, visit the SEAS website.

The Factor 4 Leap in Energy Consumption of Buildings

September 10, 2008
10:30 am	to	12:00 pm

Speaker: Mr Poul E Kristensen, Managing Director, IEN Consultants Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Venue: Seminar Room II, ISEAS

This seminar discusses the need for buildings to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions. The speaker will explain that it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of buildings by a factor of 4 through energy efficiency and local cogeneration using natural gas or biofuel. Case studies and the necessary technologies will also be discussed. For details and registration, visit the ISEAS website.