The Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi building, which houses an intelligent operations control centre and energy transition innovation centre, has been conferred the highest accolade of Green Mark Platinum Positive Energy (GM: 2021) by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
A Green Mark Platinum Positive Energy building has at least 115% of its energy consumption, including plug load, supplied from onsite renewable sources. Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi is the first building in Singapore to receive this certification under the new BCA GM: 2021 scheme, which raises environmental standards in energy performance and places greater emphasis on other important sustainability outcomes, such as enhancing a building’s resilience to climate change, adopting smart technologies[1] and creating healthier environments for building users.
The Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi building, annexed to Keppel DHCS’s Changi District Cooling Systems Plant, was built in 2013 on a site layout of 1.06 ha. The fast-track retrofitting works commenced at the end of 2021 and were completed in May this year. The works included upgrading of the high-efficiency air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system, as well as installing smart sensors, LED lights, electric vehicles charging infrastructure and vast vertical greenery. Over 4,000 square metres of photovoltaics (PV) were also installed on the rooftop and building façade, which is expected to yield about 600,000 kWh/year of renewable energy, more than double of the building’s consumption. This is equivalent to at least 245 tonnes of CO2 emission per year and carbon sequestration capacity of more than 7,000 new trees planted.
The building is also fitted with water-efficient fittings to reduce potable water usage and is able to harvest rainwater for irrigation. In addition, the internal fit-outs, road kerbs, wheel stoppers and waterproofing system were constructed using sustainable materials and products.
Ms Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel Infrastructure, said, “We are delighted that the retrofitted Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi building meets the highest standard of the BCA Green Mark and is the first in Singapore to be conferred the Green Mark Platinum Positive Energy building under the new scheme. We thank BCA and the National Parks Board (NParks) for their support, as we seek to work with stakeholders to contribute continuously to global sustainable development and decarbonisation efforts. In line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, this modernisation of a nearly decade old asset into a smart and positive energy building is a demonstration of KI’s ability to embed innovation and sustainability solutions into our new and existing projects and operations – a value-added energy service, which we can offer to our customers.”
Commenting on the achievement, Mr Kelvin Wong, CEO of BCA, said, “The Green Mark 2021 scheme was developed to help raise sustainability standards in buildings and support Singapore’s push towards a low-carbon built environment. The refreshed scheme launched last year places greater emphasis on criteria such as design for maintainability, reduction of embodied carbon throughout a building’s life cycle, integration of smart technologies, and creation of healthier environments for building users. We are pleased that Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi has met the requirements to be certified Green Mark Platinum Positive Energy. Such buildings help contribute to Singapore’s targets, such as having 80% of new developments by Gross Floor Area to be Super Low Energy buildings from 2030. We hope to see more built environment stakeholders pursuing more ambitious sustainability standards as Singapore pushes towards its target to create a low-carbon built environment.”
In addition, as part of the refurbishment of the Keppel Infrastructure @ Changi building, NParks co-funded the building’s vertical greening and biophilic landscaping under the Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme (Vertical Greenery), which added over 910 square metres of greenery to the building. This greenery reduces the urban heat island effect, improves the performance of the indoor environment and also enhances the health and mental wellbeing of occupants.
Dr Yap Him Hoo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Professional Development & Services Cluster, National Parks Board said, “The National Parks Board (NParks) is heartened by Keppel’s continued efforts to green up their built environments and their recognition of skyrise greenery benefits. We are happy to have supported their efforts to install extensive green walls co-located with existing solar panels through our Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme (SGIS). As the building houses Keppel’s first district cooling systems (DCS) plant which cools down other developments in Changi Business Park, this co-location of greenery with solar panels will help to cool the building and make it more comfortable to live, work and play in, while further softening its façade and advancing Singapore’s status as a world leader in vertical greening. These collaborative efforts with industry partners help to restore nature into the urban landscape which aligns with the vision to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, a key pillar in the Singapore Green Plan 2030. We hope Keppel’s innovative greening efforts will pave the way for more of such co-location installations around Singapore.”