NUS running electric vehicle trial [News]

By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 14 Jan 2012.

The National University of Singapore will launch a trial this year to study whether one-seater electric vehicles can enhance travel around its campuses.

Participants will use the Toyota COMS – a single-seater micro electric vehicle (EV) resembling a golf buggy – to shuttle between the NUS Kent Ridge campus and University Town (NUS UTown).

The year-long study will test the viability of using such vehicles to provide ‘personal mobility on demand’ at NUS.

The trial is led by Professor Chua Kee Chaing, who said it is likely to start by April with a fleet of 10 vehicles – provided free by trial partner Toyota Tsusho (Singapore). Read more

Shanghai Jiao Tong University to set up environmental sustainability research centre in Singapore [Press Releases]

1. The National Research Foundation (NRF) has approved the proposal for
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of China’s top universities, to set up a research centre in Singapore, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to work on “Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2)”. This centre will be part of the NRF CREATE (Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise) programme.

2. NRF Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean said: “We are
very pleased to engage in this strategic partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong
University to develop solutions for energy and environmental sustainability in cities. Given the rapid rate of global urbanisation, this is a timely project, which brings together the complementary expertise of researchers from China and Singapore to address the challenges of waste management and environmental contamination facing large cities today. It will contribute significantly to Singapore’s push to be at the forefront of urban solutions research.” Read more

A*STAR Ups Collaborative R&D in Green Technologies to Spur the Growth of Eco-friendly Industries [Press Releases]

To spur the growth in eco-friendly industries, A*STAR’s research institute, SIMTech, is spearheading a slew of R&D initiatives in green technologies in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS). Three Joint-Labs with NTU to develop technologies relevant to Remanufacturing are set up and Remanufacturing and Green Packaging Initiatives for industry are rolled out.

SINGAPORE, 16 November 2011: The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), is taking on the challenge of green manufacturing by spurring R&D collaborations on remanufacturing technologies with NTU and NUS as well as launching initiatives to grow eco-friendly industries .

Investing in 10 New Projects in Remanufacturing Technologies

2. SIMTech is engaging with NUS and NTU on 10 new projects to jointly develop competitive remanufacturing technologies for Singapore’s manufacturing companies. This is the first such instance of significant investment in remanufacturing projects by the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of A*STAR. The projects were awarded by SERC in September 2011. Read more

Green wall tie-up to grow new ideas [News]

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 26 Oct 2011.

They are the latest way to help the environment while lending offices or carparks a flavour of the great outdoors.

Now, research into green walls is set to climb a gear following a tie-up between the National University of Singapore and Japanese brewer Suntory.

The two organisations yesterday agreed to share information on the vertical planting systems, which cut energy bills by reducing buildings’ temperatures. They hope the collaboration would lead to new technologies hitting the market.

Suntory has given the university’s School of Design and Environment a 2m by 3m panel featuring various types of greenery planted in a foam-like substance called Pafcal. This uses 40 per cent less water than conventional soil-based systems, and requires less maintenance. Read more

Going green could ‘build’ up rewards [News]

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, 17 Sep 2011.

Going green for the environment may add ‘green’ to the wallet.

Adding environment-friendly features to buildings here adds to their property value by about 2 per cent, a new study here has found.

The study by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) surveyed 23 commercial buildings, including offices, malls and hotels, to pin an economic value to green buildings.

It found that adding green features such as skylights and water-saving taps to buildings gives owners leeway to charge higher rentals.

Utility bills are lower as well. In the buildings surveyed, electricity costs fell by 6 per cent to 35 per cent, with hotels benefiting the most as major users of power. Read more

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

NUS develops new technology to treat ballast water [News]

By Channel NewsAsia, 5 Sep 2011.

A new more compact and environmentally-friendly technology developed locally to disinfect ballast water in ships may soon be used on vessels plying international shipping routes.

The new technology is developed by a team of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

It treats the water using electrolysis and is already approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

The system uses a patented and cost-effective electrode and a series of supporting devices to treat ballast water over a period of 10 to 12 hours. Read more

Alliance launched to help S’pore firms go green [News]

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) has launched an alliance to help local companies become more eco-friendly.

The group will also help them tap into Singapore’s Clean Technology (Cleantech) network.

Also, a handbook titled “Riding the Megatrend of Sustainability” was launched in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Offering insights on the motivations and experiences of sustainable business, the handbook will spur businesses to follow in the footsteps of the green pioneers.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Sustainability Awards ceremony saw nine private and public sector organisations being honoured for their sustainable business practices. Read more

NUS team makes cheap power from rainwater [News]

Scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found a cheap way to convert rainwater into electricity – and they are expanding their research to include sea water and wastewater, such as urine, as well.

They said such electricity is as cheap as power from the national grid and could become even cheaper in the future.

It can also be used to power cars if fuel tanks are replaced by water tanks.

Project member Chua Kian Jon, 41, an assistant professor at the NUS Faculty of Engineering, noted that the system makes use of Singapore’s abundant rain. ‘We’re surrounded by all this water which could supply all of our electricity needs,’ he said. Read more

NUS and A*STAR Launch Research Programmes in New Growth Area of Green Electronics [Press Releases]

Programmes to train and equip NUS graduates with knowledge and skills to plan and design green data centres, and pioneer next-generation power devices for green automotive and energy harvesting

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) jointly launched two new research programmes today to nurture and train skilled professionals to power Green Electronics, a new growth area in the electronics sector. These programmes will lead to a PhD degree for successful candidates who may be supported through scholarships provided by A*STAR and NUS.

Green Electronics have been identified by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to transform the electronics sector into a new engine for economic growth, alongside BioElectronics, Plastic Electronics and Security. EDB recently reported that the electronics sector experienced a 27 per cent growth and generated $89.9 billion in fixed asset investment last year. Read more

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