Energy audits in 121 buildings result in $30m savings

Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia 7 Feb 09;

SINGAPORE: As of December last year, the government spent $3.2 million subsidising energy audits in 121 buildings in Singapore. This resulted in energy savings of close to $30 million a year.

At Singapore Post (SingPost), changes to the air conditioning system alone saved the organisation $1.2 million in electricity bills a year.

To reduce friction and therefore lower energy consumption, renovations were made so that straight pipes instead of crooked ones pumped water in the chiller units.

SingPost also used a smart motor in its air-con cooling tower, so that it moves slower when it is less hot.

Most buildings have motors that move at one standard speed.

SingPost's senior vice president for property management, Tan Swee Guan, said: "The energy audit is co-sponsored by NEA. They co-sponsored 50 per cent. It cost us about $50,000. And the project cost us a total of $1.9 million."

To encourage others to implement similar changes, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will co-fund 50 per cent of the cost of energy-efficient technologies, capped at $2 million per project.

Besides retrofitting older buildings, the government also wants to encourage more efficient energy use in new buildings.

Hence the NEA will co-fund 80 per cent or $600,000, or whichever is lower, of an energy-use-design workshop before the building process.

- CNA/ir