Higher Green Mark standards for new buildings from December

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 5 Aug 2010

Higher Green Mark standards will apply to new buildings in Singapore from December.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said the move will guide the industry towards more sustainable and energy efficient practices in building design, construction and maintenance.

An award made of recycled glass was conferred to BCA by international think tank Aspen Institute for its efforts in promoting “green” practices in Singapore’s buildings.

And the use of recycled materials is one area of sustainable construction practices that’s encouraged under the revised Green Mark criteria.

Other revisions include requiring air-conditioning systems that are more energy efficient, and incorporating natural ventilation into the design.

To meet the minimum certification level, new buildings or those undergoing major retrofitting will need an energy efficiency standard that is 28 per cent higher than 2005 levels. This is also a 10 per cent point jump over the current standard.

BCA had consulted the industry over the last year in its review, and concerns about high costs and the lack of expertise were raised.

“We’ve been having quite a lot of training programmes, even those at the Masters level, to build up this green collar professional capability in the industry,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.