BCA sets aside S$20m to testbed green building technologies

SINGAPORE'S Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has set aside S$20 million of a S$52 million innovation scheme to support the testing of new energy-efficient technologies in fully operational buildings.

The Green Buildings Innovation Cluster - Building Energy Efficient Demonstrations (GBIC-Demo) scheme will support technologies that are expected to achieve 20 to 40 per cent improvement over current best-in-class technologies. The technologies may be successfully completed research and development projects or proven technologies that have yet to be widely implemented in Singapore, such as chilled ceilings or under-floor cooling systems.

The scheme will also cover the cost of removing technologies that are unsuccessful.

United World College South East Asia will be one of the first to take part, with its new high-school block in Dover scheduled for 2017 completion.

BCA will also run workshops beginning March 13 to help identify potential new demonstration projects.

"The scheme will help mitigate the risks involved in trialling new technologies by co-funding incurred costs such as equipment, installation, and commissioning. In doing so, we hope to spur wider replication and eventual commercialisation of novel energy-efficient solutions for buildings in the longer term," BCA group director of research Tan Tian Chong said in a statement.

The National Research Foundation set aside S$52 million in September 2014 as part of the five-year GBIC initiative. BCA was tasked with administering the fund.