Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) initiated the Super Low Energy (SLE) Programme to advance environmental sustainability within the country. The program includes initiatives like the SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap and the SLE Challenge to promote the development and adoption of cost-effective SLE buildings.

Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, announced the program at the opening of Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) 2018.

Singapore’s green building journey commenced in 2005 with the introduction of the BCA Green Mark and three Green Building Masterplans. Since then, Singapore has made over 3,400 buildings more environmentally friendly, encompassing more than 100 million square meters of gross floor area. BCA’s recent Building Energy Benchmarking Report 2018 illustrates the positive impact of green buildings. Since 2008, commercial buildings have reduced energy consumption by 14%. This progress, observed in over 1,000 commercial buildings, translates to roughly 1,000 GWh in annual energy savings, equating to approximately S$200 million saved per year.

Hugh Lim, BCA CEO, stated, “We have made significant strides in our environmental sustainability journey. To initiate the next phase of our green building movement, BCA is collaborating with industry professionals to deliver cost-effective super low energy buildings capable of achieving a minimum of 60% energy efficiency improvement over the 2005 building codes, when the BCA Green Mark was first introduced. Furthermore, we are engaging in more rigorous research and innovation to further advance green buildings to reach up to 80% energy efficiency improvement. By establishing these ambitious performance benchmarks, Singapore can significantly contribute to mitigating climate change and fulfilling our responsibility as a conscientious global citizen. We encourage more building owners and developers to collaborate with us as we strive toward the shared objective of shaping a greener built environment for the benefit of Singaporeans.”

The SLE Programme aims to position SLE buildings as the new standard for green buildings. Its components include:

SLE Challenge

The SLE Challenge encourages developers to lead in constructing SLE buildings using effective designs and cost-efficient technologies. Over 10 developers and building owners have voluntarily committed to completing at least one SLE project within the next five years.

For example, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has collaborated with the Army to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency for building facilities in Kranji Camp and Seletar Camp, while adhering to operational requirements. For the Kranji Camp building, DSTA employed computational fluid dynamics to model wind flow and design the buildings for optimal natural ventilation.

Solar light pipes channel sunlight into the building, while sensors automatically dim artificial lighting when sufficient sunlight is present, conserving energy. Solar panels on the roofs of both buildings convert sunlight into electricity, generating enough energy to meet all their needs.

The two Army buildings will conserve close to 540 MWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of approximately 116 four-room government-issued (HDB) flats. DSTA also incorporated mass-engineered timber, a sustainable material that acts as a carbon sink, in the Kranji building, marking a first for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) facilities.

Green Mark for SLE

BCA introduced the Green Mark for SLE to acknowledge these SLE projects. This voluntary certification framework for SLE buildings complements the BCA Green Mark scheme and supports the net-zero energy goal in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Green Mark for SLE will recognize top-performing energy-efficient buildings in addition to their Green Mark award. For instance, a building awarded both the Green Mark Platinum and Green Mark for SLE would receive the Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) distinction. This encourages building owners to push the boundaries of passive and active strategies, smart energy management, and renewable energy use to achieve best-in-class building energy performance. Public and private developers have agreed to pursue the Green Mark for SLE in nearly 20 projects.

SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap

The SLE Buildings Technology Roadmap focuses on developing cost-effective solutions that advance energy-efficiency ratings. It will also support the goal of achieving up to an 80% improvement in energy efficiency compared to 2005 levels. Developed in collaboration with industry and academia, the roadmap outlines comprehensive strategies to aid the industry in designing and constructing cost-effective SLE buildings.

Constructing an SLE building with a 60% improvement in energy efficiency is technically achievable using today’s best-in-class technologies. However, more research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) are necessary to reach the 80% energy efficiency improvement target cost-effectively.

Keppel Land, a developer committed to piloting various emerging technologies, exemplifies this. They are working on their BCA Green Mark Platinum-certified development, Keppel Bay Tower, to potentially replicate these technologies in rejuvenating their other commercial buildings. In 2017, BCA and Keppel Land launched a Joint Challenge Call for testing SLE technologies at Keppel Bay Tower. BCA’s Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) program supports this project with a S$1.28 million innovation fund. Keppel Land will demonstrate five technologies within Keppel Bay Tower:

• Smart lighting: This smart lighting system uses occupancy sensors to transition lighting levels seamlessly based on building occupancy. The fully automated system will be implemented on seven floors of the building.
• Climate control based on analytics: Integrated sensors capture occupants’ activities and comfort levels. This data is used to create an analytical model that predicts and optimizes air-conditioning operations to enhance energy efficiency.
• Intelligent building control: Implemented throughout the building, this smart building management system combines a simulation model with available building data for energy optimization, predictive maintenance, and fault detection. The technology employs a high-performance physics-based simulation engine that utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve data analytics and control, reducing downtime and resources required for Keppel Land to maintain and operate the development.
• High-efficiency air distribution: This air handling unit fan, approximately 25% more energy-efficient than top-tier technology, is expected to operate at lower noise levels, creating a better indoor environment for building occupants.
• Cooling tower water management: Implemented building-wide, this system uses a patented solution that dissolves existing scale (buildup of solids/sediment) and prevents future scale formation. It also removes dissolved oxygen to improve corrosion control and automatically disinfects water to prevent algae and bacteria, eliminating the need for chemical treatment. Consequently, the amount of blow-down water (water drained to remove mineral buildup) discharged is significantly reduced, resulting in substantial water savings.

*Both developments are on track to achieve Zero Energy Building status under the new BCA Green Mark for SLE, as the framework provides pathways to meet either Super Low Energy or Zero Energy Building requirements.