Bugis Junction goes solar

Bugis Junction now has about 1,000 sqm of solar panels installed at the top of the mall and office tower.
Channel NewsAsia 25 May 15;

SINGAPORE: The mall and office tower at Bugis Junction will be partially powered by solar energy, following the installation of about 1,000 sqm of solar panels at the roof of the complex.

Bugis Junction will be able to generate 200,000 kWh of clean energy and mitigate 110 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, solar company REC said in a news release on Monday (May 25).

This translates into cost savings of S$30,000 every year for the next 25 years. According to REC, the energy generated is enough to power about 50 four-room HDB households every year.

Bugis Junction shopping mall is owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust, while Bugis Junction Towers belongs to Keppel REIT. Both properties are recipients of the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum award, the highest green building accolade in Singapore.

REC, which operates a solar panel plant in Singapore, provides solar energy solutions to companies and households in the region.

- CNA/xk

Bugis Junction installs 1,000sqm of solar panels
SIAU MING EN Today Online 26 May 15;

SINGAPORE — Bugis Junction is the latest shopping mall and office tower to adopt solar energy following the completion of one of the largest solar panel installations for an integrated mixed-use development here.

The installations, carried out by solar energy firm REC, cover a roof area of about 1,000 square metres, said Ms Jen Tan, REC’s vice-president for sales and marketing in Asia-Pacific, in a press release today (May 25).

“With part of its electricity generated by solar, Bugis Junction will be able to generate 200,000 kWh of clean energy and mitigate 110 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually,” she added.

The amount of energy generated will be sufficient to power about 50 four-room HDB households every year. Bugis Junction will also be able to save about S$30,000 every year for the next 25 years, Ms Tan said.

About 0.5 per cent of the buildings’ total energy consumption will be from solar energy, she said.

Solar energy typically takes up about 1 per cent of a commercial property’s total electricity consumption, as such buildings are limited by their small roof space and relatively high energy consumption.

The solar panels are installed at four locations within Bugis Junction, of which, three areas are located above the shopping mall, owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust.

The last location is on the rooftop of the office tower, Bugis Junction Towers, owned by Keppel REIT.

Ms Jacqueline Lee, head of investment and asset management of CapitaLand Mall Trust Management Limited and the manager of CapitaLand Mall Trust, said: “Partnering with REC to install solar panels at Bugis Junction not only helps our mall to tap on a renewable energy source, it also delivers cost savings that enable us to run our malls more efficiently.”

Also owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust, JCube in Jurong East has a solar installation measuring around 300 sq metres and generates about 60,477 kWh of energy each year, while Sembawang Shopping Centre has one that measures around 65 sq metres and generates 12,110 kWh of energy each year.

Other malls with solar installations include 313@Somerset in Orchard and City Square Mall in Kitchener Road.

City Square has 66 solar panels, covering about 97.91 sqm. The panels generate about 11,560 kWh of energy per year, said a spokesperson for City Developments Limited, which owns the mall.