SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) – Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has certified Keppel Bay Tower as a Green Mark Platinum (Zero Energy) building.
It is the first commercial property in the country to receive this accolade, said BCA and Keppel Land in a joint statement on Wednesday.
A Green Mark Platinum (Zero Energy) building must achieve a low energy use index (EUI) of less than 115 kilowatt hours per square metre per year. All its energy consumption, including plug load, should also be supplied from renewable sources, both on-site and off-site.
Situated along Harbourfront Avenue, Keppel Bay Tower is owned and operated by Keppel Land, the property arm of Keppel Corp.
In 2018, BCA awarded Keppel Land a grant under the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster programme to implement new and emerging energy-efficient technologies at the tower.
Technologies piloted included a high-efficiency air distribution system, an innovative cooling tower water management system, integrated sensor technology to optimise fresh air intake, smart LED lighting and an intelligent building-control system.
By February 2020, the building’s EUI or annualised energy consumption was reduced by 22.3 per cent. Some of the technologies are being replicated to the rest of Keppel Bay Tower following the pilot.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels spanning more than 400 square metres will also be installed on the roof of the 18-storey building and its six-storey podium block. This installation will generate an energy yield of about 100,000 kilowatt hours per year.
After these initiatives are completed, Keppel Bay Tower’s annualised energy consumption will be down by over 30 per cent from its 2017 Green Mark Platinum level, and almost half of levels at typical office buildings in Singapore.
The remaining energy use will be offset through the purchase of renewable energy certificates through Keppel Electric, generated from PV panels at Keppel Offshore & Marine’s yards in Singapore.
BCA chief executive officer (CEO) Kelvin Wong noted that the certification marks a milestone in Singapore’s green-building journey and demonstrates how research and innovation can make zero-energy, high-rise commercial buildings a reality.
“I believe this is just the first of many more to come, and I look forward to upcoming contributions from across the built-environment value chain to realise our collective goal of a greener and more sustainable Singapore,” said Mr Wong.
Keppel Land CEO Tan Swee Yiow said the company has been leveraging technological innovations to enhance the environmental performance of its buildings.
“We hope that this will pave the way for more zero-energy commercial buildings in the years to come,” Mr Tan added.
Shares of Keppel Corp rose S$0.01 or 0.2 per cent to close at S$5.24 on Tuesday.
