The government of Singapore has come up with a new plan to make buildings in the country use less energy. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) put the Mandatory Energy Improvement (MEI) regime in place. By the end of 2024, all buildings will have to go through energy audits. This initiative is part of the government’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Mandatory Audit for Energy-Intensive Buildings
Under the MEI regime, energy-intensive commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, sports and recreation centers, and institutional buildings with a Gross Floor Area of 5,000 square meters and above will be required to undergo mandatory energy audits. These audits will help identify areas where energy efficiency can be improved.
Cost-Effective Improvements for Poor Energy Performance
After the audit, properties that don’t use energy well will have to make simple and inexpensive changes, like replacing broken parts and putting in lights that use less energy. These improvements are expected to reduce energy consumption and operating costs for building owners.
Ranking Based on Energy Performance
The BCA will give each building in Singapore its own energy performance data, which will be ranked by energy performance among buildings with the same topology. This will let building owners compare how their buildings use energy to similar buildings and find places where they can improve.
Government’s Efforts to Green the Existing Buildings
Senior Minister of State for National Development Tian Kiat How stated that buildings need to use less energy during the discussion in the Committee of Supply.He also highlighted the government’s efforts to “green our existing stock of older buildings.” Senior Minister Tan stated that 55% of Singapore’s buildings were “greened,” 20% of new construction met Super Low Energy requirements, and the city-best-in-class state’s structures saw an increase in energy efficiency of nearly 70% from 2005 levels.
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The new MEI regime is an important step towards making buildings in Singapore use less energy. The government wants to cut down on energy use and operating costs for building owners by making energy audits a requirement. With the energy performance data for each building in the country, building owners will be able to compare their buildings’ energy performance to that of similar buildings and find places to improve. This project will make the government’s efforts to go green stronger and help them reach their national goal of having net zero emissions by 2050.
