More government buildings go green

Energy audits done on 22 of 48 buildings; the rest due by March 2010
Jalelah Abu Baker, Straits Times 11 Feb 09;

EMPLOYEES at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) building probably breathe in fresher air than what their counterparts do in many other government buildings.

Since early last year, the building in Havelock Road has been using a chiller plant that has a pre-cooled fresh air unit which improves the quality of the air indoors, and also saves water.

This new chiller is just one of the many energy-efficient features that the building now boasts after it went through an energy audit arranged by the Environment and Water Resources Minister.

Under an initiative to encourage energy efficiency by March next year, audits are being conducted on all 48 government buildings that have over 15,000

sq m of air-conditioned area - a size nearly equivalent to four football fields.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim had updated Parliament on Monday on the progress of these audits.

Energy audits have been completed on 12 buildings. These buildings also implemented recommended changes that have resulted in savings totalling $3 million a year. Audits have also been done on another 10 buildings, and these are in the process of implementing recommended energy-saving changes.

Audits on the remaining 26 buildings will be completed by March next year.

The MOM building was the first to undergo the audit. The company which conducted the audit now guarantees that the ministry will enjoy energy and water savings for the next five years.

The MOM now saves $330,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs. The biggest savings came from having a more efficient chiller plant.

'The energy-saving strategy was to put in the right configuration, select higher-efficiency equipment and enhance the flexibility of the system,' said Mr Patrick Foong, an energy auditor from Chesterton International Property, which audited the building.

Previously, the building had three chillers that worked on settings from 20 years ago. These were no longer suitable for the building's current needs.

With the changes, there are now three big chillers and two small chillers that accommodate the different load and usage of the building at different times. Energy is also saved because of the variable speed at which the chillers can operate.

Other cost-saving features include more efficient cooling towers, and fittings in the restrooms that help save almost 1,000 cubic metres of water a month. This is the equivalent amount of water that about 214 people consume in a month.

Adjustments to the lightings in the offices also mean that only half the amount of electricity is now consumed.

New perimeter lights also save energy as sensors detect the level of brightness and can switch the lights off automatically.

A gadget installed in the lifts - which are the second-highest consumer of energy in the building - also helped halve the amount of energy consumed.