New rules to improve Singapore's industrial energy efficiency from Oct 1, 2018

TO improve the energy efficiency of electric motors and industrial facilities in Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be introducing new requirements from Oct 1, 2018.

These requirements are part of the enhancements to the Energy Conservation Act (ECA) and will help Singapore achieve its pledge under the Paris Agreement on climate change to reduce emissions intensity by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Based on energy use reports submitted by ECA regulated companies, electric motors accounted for about 80 per cent of the companies' electricity consumption in 2015. These motors are found in almost every industrial appliance that involves crushing, mixing or refrigeration.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) categorises motors into four energy efficiency classes, namely Standard (IE1), High (IE2), Premium (IE3) and Super Premium (IE4). To align with international standards, the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for motors in Singapore will be set at the premium level from October next year.

This will lead to inefficient motors being phased out, enabling companies to reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy cost savings from lower electricity consumption, the NEA said in a press release on Friday.

Furthermore, to encourage firms to design energy efficient facilities, the agency will require companies investing in new facilities, or major expansions that are designed to consume 54 tera-joules (TJ) or more of energy annually, to review the facility design for energy efficiency, identify economically feasible energy efficiency opportunities, and report their findings to the NEA.

These companies will also be required to install measurement instruments for key energy-consuming systems, and report energy use and performance indicators based on measured data in their ECA submissions, the NEA said.