Singapore, 29 Oct 2014 – City Developments Limited (CDL) and Tuas Power Generation Pte Ltd (Tuas Power) have jointly developed and launched a new digital energy monitoring portal for commercial tenants. This is also the first collaboration of its kind between a property developer and an electricity retailer in Singapore. The Automated Meter Reading (AMR) portal initiative is in line with the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) 3rd Green Building Masterplan, launched in September 2014, to drive conscious energy monitoring and engage commercial tenants in best practices to lower energy consumption and carbon footprint.
CDL and Tuas Power have been engaging the tenants on the use of the AMR system and portal to self-monitor their energy consumption data. The system allows for precise billing accuracy based on real-time half-hourly consumption and avoids manual reading of meters. The timely information from the AMR portal which is accessible via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets will enable CDL‟s commercial tenants to control and manage their energy usage more effectively. Through usage analysis and comparison charts available from the portal, tenants can better understand their usage patterns and find ways to lower their energy consumption. The AMR portal will be rolled out progressively across eight of CDL’s commercial buildings comprising City Square Mall, Central Mall, Fuji Xerox Towers, King’s Centre, Manulife Centre, Republic Plaza, Tampines Concourse and Tampines Grande.
The AMR portal is part of CDL’s Green Lease Partnership Programme to engage, encourage and enable its commercial tenants to play a more proactive role in Singapore’s sustainable development agenda. Under the Partnership, CDL has also introduced a dedicated team of Green Lease Ambassadors to advise its tenants on how to “green fit-out” their premises by embracing environmentally friendly designs, materials, fittings, equipment and lighting fixtures. This includes advice on the use of indoor greenery, energy and water conservation measures and waste management.
These new initiatives will help to drive energy improvements through user behavioural change. To date, more than 300 or over 60% of CDL’s commercial tenants have already signed a Green Lease Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), pledging their commitment to monitor, manage and reduce energy consumption. CDL Green Lease Pioneer tenants, to name a few, include Hitachi Asia, ITOCHU Singapore, KPMG, Metro, NTUC FairPrice, Ramdas & Wong and Singapore Green Building Council.
Dr John Keung, Chief Executive Officer of Building and Construction Authority, said: “In Singapore, the building sector consumes up to 38% of the nation’s electricity. To achieve our target of having 80% of all our buildings to be Green Mark certified by 2030, we are accelerating the 'greening' of existing buildings. Beyond focusing on the building infrastructure, we need building owners, facility managers, tenants and occupants to play a bigger role in the green building movement. Achieving a green, sustainable built environment is a collaborative effort that requires commitment across the value chain, from policy makers, to developers, right down to the end-users. CDL’s Green Lease Partnership is a step in the right direction. We hope that more building owners and tenants will work together to create a future-ready built environment for Singapore.”
Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, CDL Group General Manager, said: “Over the years, significant efforts have been dedicated to consciously implement green property and facilities management in our buildings. We have retrofitted several of our existing commercial properties by upgrading chiller plants, introducing motion sensors, energy-efficient lighting and recladding facades. On average, this has yielded annual energy savings of over 14 million kWh which is equivalent to more than S$3.6 million.”
He added: “With our commercial tenants on board, we can attain a greater reduction in energy consumption for the entire building. This will result in utility savings for the tenant and landlord, as tariff rate continues to rise. Our Green Lease Partnership and tie-up with Tuas Power to develop the AMR portal will contribute towards a more sustainable future.”
CDL is Singapore’s pioneering eco-developer and one of the largest landlords. It has attained 74 BCA Green Mark-certified residential and commercial properties, of which more than 70% are rated Green Mark GoldPLUS and Platinum tiers.
Mr Lim Kong Puay, Tuas Power Ltd President & CEO, said: “At Tuas Power, we understand our customers’ need to manage their energy costs and to consume energy in a sustainable way. In line with our vision to be a key diversified solutions provider of energy, the AMR portal places the ability to measure and manage electricity consumption into the hands of the building tenants. The AMR portal is a useful tool because tenants gain sight of their energy consumption patterns on a half-hourly basis – a big improvement from the monthly static reading from energy bills. We want more to benefit from this ability to monitor on a real-time basis and are happy to partner CDL to provide energy solutions.”
