The National Heart Centre’s new building has been recognised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for its eco-features.
It is one of 47 buildings to win the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award, the highest accolade for green building certification in Singapore.
To be completed by the end of 2013, most of the new building will be covered with an aluminium perforated screen to filter sunlight and green walls to lower the temperature.
To cut down on the amount of air-conditioning needed, the new building has also been carefully positioned to have no direct west facing façade.
This reduces significant solar heat from getting into the building, thus reducing the air-conditioning consumption.
Other green features include energy-efficient lights fitted with sensors to switch them off when not in use; regenerative lifts which generate energy when moving, saving 27 per cent of lift energy; rainwater harvesting systems; as well as charging stations for electric cars.
The eco-friendly features will result in:
annual energy savings of 6,500,000 kilowatt hours, a huge 30 per cent reduction compared to a normal building, with a cost savings of S$1.3 million a year;
annual water savings of 12,000 cubic metres – almost enough to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools – with a cost savings of about S$26,000 annually; and
annual carbon dioxide emission reduction of 3,000 tonnes, equivalent to 525 cars’ annual carbon dioxide emission.
Source : CNA – 2012 Jun 9
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