One of Asia’s first specialist sustainability recruitment firms has opened for business in Singapore as demand for jobs in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) space grows in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Acre, which was founded in London by British zoology graduate Andy Cartland in 2003, will use Singapore as its Asia Pacific base as it looks to service clients around the region.
Cartland said the time was right to launch in Asia, as the region is experiencing rapid growth in demand for sustainability talent and skills.
Acre posts candidates working in sustainability, impact investing, health and safety, and energy and clean technology, and will be compete with other firms that offer ESG recruitment services, such as NextWave, Formative Search, and Odgers Berndtson.
“Asia is arguably behind Europe and the United States when it comes to sustainability. But the region is moving at light speed to catch up. We want to be part of this transition,” Cartland told Eco-Business.
He noted that the business took a 20 percent revenue hit in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, but 2021 saw the business rebound and revenue and headcount grow by 100 percent, which has enabled the company to expand to Asia.
“We are on track for similar growth this year as well,” he said.
Singapore will be Acre’s third overseas launch, with it having established a European operation in Amsterdam and a North American hub in New York in recent years.
Acre’s Singapore launch will enable the company to service existing multinational clients with operations in the region, and also local companies in the global supply chain.
The company’s past work in Asia includes recruiting a leadership team for the Bangladesh Accord, a coalition of global brands, retailers and trade unions set up in 2013 to improve health and safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry.
Among the candidates Acre has placed recently include the global environment, health and safety director at Amazon, and the executive director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), a Swiss non-profit working to tackle child labour in the cocoa sector.
Cartland, who will move from London to Singapore in August to oversee the launch, has appointed an executive director for the Singapore office, who has yet to resign from his current job and will relocate from Hong Kong.
Acre’s Asia launch comes a month after a report by business social network LinkedIn showed 30 percent growth in hiring for green jobs between 2016 and 2021, with a spike in sustainability recruitment between 2020 and 2021.
The report also highlighted a shortage of talent for ESG roles in the region.
Cartland said that while there is a large talent pool of sustainability professionals in London, candidates in Asia, where the sustainability sector is less developed, are harder to find.
“Asia faces a different candidate sourcing challenge, and we will need to help clients navigate the [ESG] skills gap,” he said. “Our role is to find people where they’re tough to find.”
This will may involve thinking creatively about transitioning people out of non-sustainability roles, he said.
Acre is aiming to double its Asia operation by its second year, following the growth trajectories of its European and American businesses, Cartland said.
Fresh-out-of-the-ground produce is every chef’s dream, and here in urban Singapore, that’s usually a bit of a challenge.
But now, in the middle of the Central Business District, there’s an urban farm in the sky working with two connected restaurant concepts to bring herbs and vegetables directly through the kitchen and onto the plate.
1-Arden is a multi-concept development by 1-Group comprising Kaarla Restaurant and Bar, serving coastal Australian cuisine and helmed by chef John-Paul Fiechtner; Oumi, a modern Japanese kappo restaurant headed by chef Lamley Chua; and a 10,000 sq ft Food Forest where a multitude of edible plants are cultivated, all on CapitaSpring’s 51st floor.
In the same building, other 1-Arden concepts include Spanish-Italian-French-Portuguese bistro Sol & Luna and the cafe Bee’s Knees Urban.
(Photo: 1-Arden)
The Food Forest is overseen by 1-Arden’s head farmer, Christopher Leow of Edible Garden City. Leow works closely with Fiechtner, who is also 1-Arden’s executive chef, to grow crops that the restaurants and bar can use across the Food Forest’s five themed gardens: The Singapore Food Heritage Garden, the Wellness Garden, the Mediterranean Potager Garden, the Japanese Potager Garden and the Australian Native Garden.
Whatever’s in season or ready to be harvested on any particular day will go to the chefs for their creations. And, in return, food waste from the restaurants, such as fish trimmings and vegetable scraps, get turned into different targeted fertilisers to keep the garden lush, healthy and biodiverse.
While the fresh herbs and vegetables are used in most of the dishes, the Kaarla Closed Loop Salad showcases the best of the garden, featuring the day’s harvest of more than 20 edible leaves and flowers. You might find, for instance, red shiso, warrigal greens, hyacinth bean leaves, wild watercress or French marigold on your plate.
Kaarla Closed-Loop Salad (Photo: May Seah)
“Having a garden at our fingertips is inspiring every day,” said Fiechtner, who has worked all over the world and was previously V-Dining’s executive chef. “To go out at any time of day and pick something fresh from the garden – it’s really exciting for the guys in the kitchen to see something grow from scratch, and then to the final product that we get to serve.”
One of the things he wanted to grow was the tiger nut, a superfood from Africa dating back thousands of years, he shared. “It’s amazing for the soil, the reward in terms of yield is amazing, and the flavour suits the menu very well.”
Arden-grown Tiger Nut Ice Cream (Photo: Kaarla)
At Kaarla, he uses tiger nuts in various ways, from a curd for the salad to an ice cream to top a dessert of tiger nut nougatine, white Chitose corn, calamansi jelly and poached oranges.
As for the produce he imports from Australia, such as beef and seafood, sustainability is at the forefront as well. “We know all the producers’ names, how they harvest and how they grow,” Fiechtner said.
(Photo: Oumi)
“If not for the 1-Arden Food Forest being just steps away from Oumi, we wouldn’t have been exposed to the micro-seasons and micro-climates, and discovered the use of plants in the different stages of their life cycle,” said Lamley Chua, head of Japanese Culinary Development.
“For example, when available, we use bua long long buds in our Gyutan Yaki dish; otherwise, to lend the same citrusy flavour, we add thinly sliced bua long long leaves. Without the Food Forest, only the fruits are usually used. The Food Forest continues to inspire us every day as it’s up to our imagination what we can grow and what would thrive in the farm.”
“Potentially, what we can achieve here has no limits,” Fiechtner said.
1-Arden is at 88 Market Street, CapitaSpring #51-01. For more information, visit https://www.1-arden.sg.
A pale yellow liquid flows into plastic barrels – wastewater from a nearby tofu factory that a Singapore-based startup is turning into sustainable wine.
SinFooTech, focusing on recycling waste by-products in the food industry, produces about 1,000 to 2,000 liters of soy wine a month from its small distillery at the western edge of Singapore.
The waste is collected and taken to a nearby distillery where brewers add yeast and sugar. The mixture is then put into a tank to ferment for anywhere between two to six weeks.
Brewers must make the wine within a few hours of collecting the soy whey, as the liquid spoils quickly.
The drink, named Sachi, has a 5.8 percent alcohol content and is similar to cider or dessert wine. But, those who have tasted the beverage billed as the first made from soy whey, say it’s a whole other experience.
“If people expect wine from this, it’s not what they’re going to get,” says Dannon Har, a writer for Spill Magazine.
“I think it’s something that’s of its own and people should drink it thinking that way.”
How is Singapore leading the way in food sustainability?
Singapore has become a hub for the development of innovative future foods. Start-ups are producing goods ranging from lab-grown “seafood” to dumplings made with tropical fruit instead of pork.
Currently, a 500-millilitre bottle of soy wine sells for 26 euros. SinFooTech is also developing an aged whiskey-like spirit and plans to scale up production through workforce automation.
Watch the video above to see how soy wine is made from tofu wastewater.
In his May Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the impact of soaring energy prices on Singapore and its people
The increase in electricity prices is due to a confluence of factors, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, Singapore’s lack of alternatives for electricity, and rising demand for electricity as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic
With electricity costs expected to continue rising for at least a year, Singapore’s move towards greener energy sources has become more important than ever, some experts said
Solar panel sellers said they have seen an increase in enquiries as households look to generate their own electricity instead
Given the limitations on tapping solar energy especially among HDB dwellers, what are other ways for households to not only do their part for the environment but also go easy on their wallets?
SINGAPORE — Whenever the sun is blazing, Mr Arun Murthy gets excited, as a mobile application on his phone would show that his house is generating more electricity than it is using.
In mid-March, he installed 100 solar panels on the roof of his landed property in Bukit Timah.
Since then, the family’s monthly electricity bill has dropped from about S$1,200 to about S$370. Apart from meeting some of the house’s energy needs, the solar panels also generate excess electricity during the day that is sold back to Singapore’s power grid system operated by SP Group.
“Every month, we get a cheque from SP Group for selling our excess electricity, which we can use to offset our electricity bill from a private retailer… We have reduced our dependency on the grid by about 70 per cent,” said the 54-year-old chief executive officer of cybersecurity firm Invisiron.
As the family does not have a battery system to store excess electricity generated, the solar panels only fuel the house’s electricity needs when the sun is out in the day. On rainy days and at night, the home then relies on the national energy grid.
While installing the solar panels has meant lower electricity bills for the family, Mr Murthy said that the “primary reason” for doing so was to do his part for the environment.
Installing the S$54,000 solar panels on his roof also means less reliance on natural gas — regarded as the cleanest form of fossil fuel and is used to generate 95 per cent of Singapore’s electricity supply, but whose prices have skyrocketed recently amid a global energy crunch.
Since Mr Arun Murthy installed solar panels on the roof of his home, the family’s monthly electricity bill has dropped from about S$1,200 to about S$370.
Singapore’s electricity tariffs for April 1 to June 30 increased from the preceding quarter by around 9.8 per cent to S$0.27 per kWh, excluding Goods and Services Tax.
Earlier this month, in his May Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the soaring energy prices, which will set the country back by about S$8 billion a year, as he warned that Singapore must be prepared for more economic challenges ahead.
The increase in electricity prices is due to a confluence of factors, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, Singapore’s lack of alternatives for electricity and rising demand for electricity as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, experts told TODAY.
And with electricity costs expected to continue rising for at least a year, Singapore’s move towards greener energy sources has become more important than ever, some of the experts added.
Indeed, by reducing electricity consumption or turning to renewable energy, households now can not only do their part to save the Earth — but also go easy on their wallets
The increase in electricity costs during the past few months is a good opportunity for the Government to accelerate the adoption of green energy.
Dr Chua Yeow Hwee from the Nanyang Technological University’s economics division
Factors driving the surge in electricity prices
One reason for the rising electricity tariffs for the past two years is that 95 percent of electricity in Singapore is generated by natural gas, a byproduct of crude oil, said Associate Professor Chang Young Ho, head of the business and management minor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).
Because it is a byproduct, the price of natural gas is indexed to the price of crude oil. Hence, recent spikes in oil prices have caused energy prices to similarly jump.
He also noted that while the cost breakdown of generating electricity is not publicly available, industry experts have estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the total cost is related to fuel costs.
By reducing electricity consumption or turning to renewable energy, households now can not only do their part to save the Earth — but also go easy on their wallets.
“The recovery from Covid-19 has increased demand for oil, such as for use by industries, commercial and transport, so the price of oil increased,” said Assoc Prof Chang.
“The Ukraine-Russia war affected production and supply of oil (so) it also increased oil prices… As long as the war continues, the price is expected to increase,” he added.
Dr David Broadstock, a senior research fellow and the head of the Energy Economics Division at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Energy Studies Institute, said the decision by Europe and other countries to stop purchasing natural gas from Russia has forced them to search for new gas suppliers.
“At the same time, there are limits to how much gas supply chains can scale up without major new infrastructure development, which would also take some years to provide.
“This is a perfect recipe for natural price increases for natural gas, as those countries which are willing and able to pay higher prices may choose to do so to ensure a secure energy supply,” said Dr Broadstock.
He also noted that China’s demand for natural gas has been consistently growing as it searches for a cleaner fuel option as compared to coal. This is especially so during the winter season, which has created long-term pressure on markets.
While all these have resulted in the rise of oil and energy prices, Dr Broadstock said that key energy commodity prices have, to some extent, stabilised.
He added that the Energy Market Authority (EMA) had implemented mechanisms following local power market disruptions in 2021, which will help Singapore reach stable prices faster.
This would take about a year, other experts including Assoc Prof Chang estimated.
On April 4, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng spoke in Parliament about these mechanisms, which include a standby liquefied natural gas facility and requirements imposed on power generation companies to “bolster existing stockpiles and provide additional layers of fuel security to cope with the short-term shocks to global gas supply”.
They were introduced after “upstream production issues in Indonesia’s West Natuna gas field and gas pressure issues from South Sumatra in the fourth quarter of 2021 caused disruptions to our piped natural gas supplies,” said Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister.
“As a result, some companies had to purchase more liquefied natural gas at elevated global gas prices to make up for the drop in piped natural gas supplies.”
EMA has also modified market rules, allowing the agency to direct power generation companies to use gas from its standby facility, allowing the authority to manage the cost impact on consumers.
“These measures have ensured that we have sufficient fuel and electricity supply and stabilised the uniform Singapore energy price,” said Dr Tan.
However, experts said that the prices and impact on supply reinforce the need for Singapore to diversify its energy sources and improve its local production — which currently makes up just 5 per cent of the country’s energy supply.
Dr Chua Yeow Hwee from the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) economics division said: “The increase in electricity costs during the past few months is a good opportunity for the Government to accelerate the adoption of green energy.”
Dr Broadstock added: “The more power that can be produced locally, the more secure and predictable energy costs will become.
“However, there are limits to just how much solar energy can be deployed in Singapore. While more investment into solar will be very welcome, Singapore will inevitably need to explore additional energy resources.”
Dr Broadstock referred to recommendations made by a committee commissioned by EMA on March 22, which include importing renewable energy from verified resources — such as wind, large-scale solar and hydropower — which are abundant in other countries.
Viability of solar energy for households
Some households looking to cut their electricity bills without changing too much of their lifestyles can turn to generate their own electricity via solar power, which is the main renewable energy option here.
Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, executive director of NTU’s Energy Research Institute, noted that solar panel technology has advanced over the years, reaching efficiencies of between 20 to 22 percent. This efficiency refers to the amount of electricity generated from solar energy that falls on the panel.
“Efficiencies used to be around 15 percent a decade ago, and we have seen a 30 percent improvement… it definitely makes sense from both sustainability and cost perspectives,” said Prof Mhaisalkar.
He noted that a barrier to getting these panels installed is the upfront cost, but solar leasing and favorable financing options have made installation a compelling value proposition.
Under solar leasing, a company pays for and installs a solar system from which homeowners can buy electricity.
Solar panel installation companies told TODAY that they have seen increased interest in their services this year, with more homes looking to do their part for the environment while saving money.
Mr Satish Prasath, founder and director of PMCE (Global), said his company used to receive about one inquiry a day for its residential services when it first started in December 2017, but that has increased to three queries daily this year.
The company has since outfitted 300 residential homes with solar panels. On average, households spend between S$18,000 and S$22,000, and the average home installs 30 panels. This would equate to about S$300 to S$400 saved a month, Mr Prasath estimated.
“We’ve installed panels in about 50 homes (so far) this year… people are concerned about the impact of the Ukraine-Russia war so they are looking for long-term solutions,” he said. His company had put up panels in about 95 homes for the whole of last year.
The panels have a warranty of 25 to 30 years, so homeowners stand to profit from installing them, he added.
The (solar) energy generated is often more than the household consumption, so when they sell to the grid, some of our customers even get negative utility bills each month because they’re owed money.
Mr Benedict Goh, chief investment officer of renewable energy firm UTICA
Mr Benedict Goh, a chief investment officer of UTICA, said another draw of solar panels today is the increased efficiency and return on investment.
“When we started selling goods related to solar panels in 2004, costs were much higher and the return on investment was around 10 to 15 years… people purchased to show off new technology, or because they wanted to go green,” he said.
“But now, it’s more efficient and costs (for the solar panels) have dropped by half of what they were in early 2010.”
Mr Goh said his company has done “hundreds” of installations, and inquiries for landed properties have increased by 30 percent in the past two to three years.
Solar panel installation companies told TODAY that they have seen increased interest in their services this year, with more homes looking to do their part for the environment while saving money.
“The energy generated is often more than the household consumption, so when they sell to the grid, some of our customers even get negative utility bills each month because they’re owed money,” he said, adding it can save customers between 40 and 80 percent of their monthly consumption bills.
Mr Christophe Inglin, co-founder and managing director of Energetix, added that residents stand to get a return on investment within four to six years, although that time frame is likely to be shorter as electricity prices increase.
Energetix focuses on installing solar panels for commercial projects, with residential installations making up less than 5 percent of its volume of sales. However, the company has also seen a spike in enquiries from homeowners.
While it would typically receive around two queries a month two years ago, the company now gets around six a week — mostly through referrals.
Mr Inglin declined to share the average number of panels installed but estimates a terrace house generates 10 to 15 kilowatt peak (kWp) a day, 15 to 25 kWp for semi-detached homes, and 20 to 60 kWp for bungalows.
However, while solar energy may provide future cost-savings, it has its own limitations.
For one, households still need to rely on electricity from natural gas as solar panels generate electricity only during the day. Dr Broadstock noted that many households’ demand for electricity increases at night — when people are back from work.
And while they can combine solar power with chargeable batteries, Dr Broadstock said battery technologies can be unsafe, which makes their use in residential and high-density urban environments like Singapore “challenging”.
The installation of solar panels is also subject to a building’s structural limitations, be it for a landed property or a HDB flat.
According to the Building Construction Authority’s (BCA) handbook for solar photovoltaic systems, there are constraints whereby standard development control guidelines apply — for example, if solar panels are to be installed on the rooftop of an attic, attic guidelines would apply.
Apart from possibly requiring an electrical installation license, BCA said in its handbook that existing buildings may require a professional structural engineer to carry out an inspection of the roof structure and calculate the structural loading.
“If the roof is unable to withstand the loading of the solar photovoltaic system, structural plans will need to be submitted to BCA for approval before a building permit can be issued for commencement of installation works,” the authority said.
It also noted that the solar panels are exposed to the threat of lightning strikes and hence, require proper lightning protection.
The installation of solar panels is also subject to a building’s structural limitations, be it for a landed property or a HDB flat.
LANDED PROPERTIES
For landed properties, the existing roof’s material and the angle it is it can make it expensive, unsafe and inefficient to install solar panels.
Mr Prasath said: “About 30 to 40 percent of homes that enquire are unable to install the panels.
“Some roofs have tiles that are glued directly to it, so it can become unsafe for us to clear up some tiles and place our brackets for solar panels on top. It may compromise the roof’s integrity.”
He added that roofs which are at a 45 degree angle or have protruding windows would not be suitable for solar panels.
CONDOMINIUMS
For condominiums, homeowners seeking to install solar panels will need to get approval from their management committees — commonly known as Management Corporation Strata Title, or MCSTs — and the authorities, and the green light is given on a case-by-case basis depending on various factors.
Both Mr Prasath and Mr Goh said that their companies have received inquiries from condominium homeowners interested in installing solar panels, but faced difficulties in getting the necessary approvals.
Condominium homeowners interviewed said that even if they manage to get the green light from their MCSTs to install solar panels,they are unsure if authorities require additional approvals.
Approvals aside, cost savings for condominium owners are also limited because they are ineligible to sell excess electricity to the national grid.
Their apartments also need to be on the top floors with roof access belonging to them, and where there is enough sunlight to generate electricity.
Mr Prasath added that another obstacle is that condominiums often use submeters, which allows condominium homeowners to track their individual consumption.
“Solar panel systems require testing and commissioning by SP Group before they can be connected to the grid, which (SP Group) only does for buildings connected to master meters such as (landed homes) and private-owned industrial buildings,” he said.
SP Group did not reply to TODAY’s queries.
HDB FLATS
For HDB flat homeowners, their options are further limited as solar panels not only take up space, but also require direct sunlight to generate a significant amount of electricity for home usage.
In 2020, a HDB resident made the news when he put up solar panels — reportedly weighing 10kg to 20kg — on top of a clothes-drying rack and an air-conditioner.
HDB told the media then that said such installations outside flats are not allowed as they may affect the structural integrity of the building, and can pose a risk to the public. It also reiterated that installations outside of a flat are prohibited unless approved by the town council.
Dr Chua from NTU’s division of economics noted that households on high floors can still tap solar energy in a limited fashion, such as hanging small solar panels at their windows and using them to power their mobile phones or laptops.
Smaller solar power generators are also readily available in the market. Such generators can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Mr Goh from UTICA, which sells such products, said they are commonly bought by hikers and campers looking to tap solar energy while outdoors. Some residents have also bought these generators to place in their balconies to power their mobility devices and other gadgets at home.
As part of a Government initiative to harness solar energy, HDB has to date installed solar panels on about 2,700 blocks and plans to reach 8,400 blocks in the next “two to three years”. In total, this will produce enough electricity to power 95,000 four-room flats.
On how these panels will benefit residents, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a written parliamentary reply on Jan 10 that the energy generated is “first used to power common services in HDB estates, such as lifts and lights”, and any excess solar energy will be channeled to the national grid.
“Town Councils managing these HDB blocks will enter into a service agreement with the solar vendor to pay for the solar energy consumed, at a preferential rate not higher than the retail electricity tariff rate,” MND added. “This may help the Town Councils in mitigating the rising cost of energy.”
How to save on electricity bills
For now, there remain significant limitations as to how individual households can turn to renewable energy as an alternative power source.
Nevertheless, consumers can still take matters into their own hands, in terms of reducing their electricity consumption.
For example, Ms Valerie Khoo, a 27-year-old wealth management consultant, said she does not use a fan or air-conditioner on cooler days but instead, leaves her windows open at night while she sleeps.
“With the (electricity) price increase, we’ve been a bit more conscious and my mom nags at us more about not using the air conditioner unless its really too hot,” she said.
Her family of four spends about S$120 a month on electricity for their five-room flat. Apart from ensuring they turn off the lights when not in use, they also chose a two-tick refrigerator — the highest energy rating available for her nearly 650 litre fridge when it was bought in 2018.
Apart from her parents and younger brother, Ms Khoo lives with the family’s two dogs. The food for her dogs takes up half the space in the freezer, she said.
The ticks system by the National Environment Agency (NEA) rates the energy efficiency of household appliances, with five ticks being the most efficient, and one tick being the least efficient. This is displayed on the energy label, which also shows consumers the annual energy cost of the appliance.
Ms Valerie Khoo does not use a fan or air-conditioner on cooler days but instead, leaves her windows open at night while she sleeps.
Ms Khoo said that while the family is keen to save electricity, the cost of big-ticket items has to justify the long-term savings, and be within their means, before they decide to buy a pricier appliance with a higher energy saving rating.
Like some other consumers whom TODAY spoke to, Ms Khoo said her electricity-saving habits have been shaped over the years, motivated by a desire to not just reduce her electricity bill but also to reduce her carbon footprint.
By using energy-efficient appliances and adopting good energy consumption habits, households will enjoy lower utility bills whilst contributing towards climate action.
National Environment Agency
Responding to TODAY’s queries, NEA noted that small habits can help reduce electricity costs — for example, simply using a fan instead of an air-conditioner can save households around S$384 a year based on electricity tariffs of S$0.26 per kWh.
“Based on an earlier household energy consumption survey conducted by NEA, cost-savings is the key motivating factor that households consider when deciding on the purchase of more energy-efficient appliances,” the agency said.
“By using energy-efficient appliances and adopting good energy consumption habits, households will enjoy lower utility bills whilst contributing towards climate action.”
To help inform consumers’ purchasing decisions, NEA said they can use its online Life Cycle Cost Calculator to check yearly energy costs and compare these with upfront costs for electrical appliances.
NEA also said its “enforcement checks” at retail outlets have shown that there are appliances with higher ticks that are not more expensive than those with lower ticks.
“With rising electricity prices, the higher cost of a more energy-efficient appliance can be quickly recouped and the owner saves even more over the appliance’s lifespan,” it said.
Under the government’s Climate Friendly Households Programme, one-, two- and three-room HDB households can register for S$225 worth of e-vouchers to offset the purchase price of resource-efficient appliances.
For example, households may get a S$150 e-voucher for the purchase of an energy-efficient refrigerator, or a S$25 e-voucher for LED lights.
Nevertheless, consumers can do more beyond opting for appliances that are more energy-efficient, experts said.
Mr Tan Tsiat Siong, lecturer at SUSS’ School of Business, said households should not just replace damaged appliances with more energy-efficient ones but do so with their older appliances as well.
Amid higher electricity prices, energy-efficient appliances can bring about long-term savings, Mr Tan reiterated.
He added that the simple actions of turning off switches when not in use, not leaving chargers on when devices are fully charged, and unplugging cords when not in use, can help reduce electricity consumption.
Likewise, Prof Mhaisalkar from NTU’s Energy Research Institute said homeowners can minimise energy losses through simple steps such as by ensuring their windows are sealed well when using an air conditioner or relying on natural ventilation instead.
Dr Broadstock from NUS’ Energy Studies Institute suggested setting the timer on appliances such as water heaters to help eliminate unnecessary energy consumption.
Households should also watch out for appliances with standby modes, which he dubs as “electricity vampires”.
“These constantly ‘suck’ a little energy from the socket even when on standby, hence the name ‘vampire’. Turning these off when they are not being used will help to reduce some power consumption,” he said.
He added that when it comes to saving electricity, a “reasonable guiding principle” is to look for options to reduce energy consumption without reducing quality of life and even gaining “co-benefits” in ideal situations.
“For example… take an extra 15 minutes to walk around your community after dinner, reducing the energy used at home while getting health co-benefits,” said Dr Broadstock.
Cars are going electric but the rising piles of their used batteries will become a very big problem three to four years down the road. But the world can’t wait three to four years for a solution. “We need one now,” says Bryan Oh, chief executive of NEU Battery Materials, a Singapore-based startup that takes a unique approach to battery recycling.
Electric vehicles (EVs) put on the road in 2019 alone will eventually produce 500,000 tonnes of battery waste. By 2040, two-thirds of all car sales are expected to be electric generating 1,300 gigawatt-hours of waste batteries, according to the International Energy Agency. Currently, only about 5 per cent of Lithium-ion batteries, the rechargeable batteries most commonly found in EVs, are recycled globally.
Disposing of lithium, which is prized for its conductive properties, is particularly problematic. Typically, lithium isn’t recovered from the battery recycling process, because recycling it is complicated and involves multiple stages to purify it. A lack of a viable alternative means that it is currently cheaper to mine more lithium than recycle it. But this could change as global lithium supply comes under pressure.
Demand for lithium has quadrupled in the past 10 years. As a result, lithium prices have soared, quadrupling in a year. Elon Musk, the chief executive of electric automaker Tesla, said earlier this year that he would consider mining the element himself, to bring prices under control. Mining expert Joe Lowry said last week that lithium supply is falling worryingly short of demand, which is projected to be 14 times greater by 2030.
People drive a Tesla because they want to be green. But they don’t realise how much pollution is created from mining materials and manufacturing EVs.
Bryan Oh, founder and chief executive, NEU Battery Materials
Oh, who was among the winners of sustainability solutions contest The Liveability Challenge in 2021, believes his firm’s technology is a gamechanger in keeping lithium supply in circulation, using a method that has a low environmental impact.
Typically, recovering metals from batteries involves burning or using acid — both polluting processes. Oh’s method, which was developed by the National University of Singapore (NUS), uses electricity to extract the lithium from used batteries. This reduces the amount of chemicals and water needed in the process.
The technology is still in its pilot phase but Oh has ambitious plans to expand overseas and set up up in major EV markets, like China and Europe. He is about to close another round of seed funding as he eyes scale.
In this interview with Eco-Business, Oh talks about the impact of Covid and soaring lithium prices on his venture, the challenges of finding talent in an emerging industry, and what he wants to say to Elon Musk.
How does NEU’s battery recycling technology work?
NEU’s technology focuses on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. This is a type of lithium-ion battery increasingly used by Tesla and other major EV makers.
LFP batteries do not contain nickel or cobalt, so are usually considered of lower recycling value than other types of lithium-ion batteries. NEU’s technology can extract the lithium at lower cost.
An electrochemical process separates the batteries into iron phosphate and lithium hydroxide, at a recovery rate of more than 95 per cent and purity levels of about 99 per cent for both materials.
This process for producing battery grade lithium is up to 100 times less polluting and up to 10 times more profitable compared to existing recycling technologies, according to NEU.
What impact has the high price of lithium had on your venture?
By next year, some reports predict that there will not be enough lithium to support EV growth. The price increase is a clear sign that there is not enough supply. The price will continue to go up, and that could hurt EV adoption. Consumers are not going to pay double the price for an EV car. It’s urgent that we find alternative sources of raw materials to sustain industry growth.
What impact did Covid have on your venture?
We were born out of Covid. Before Covid I was working on a startup called PortaLockers, a portable storage system. Covid killed my startup, but it did give me the opportunity to work with the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP), out of which NEU Battery Materials was born.
There have been many downsides to Covid — I got the sense that businesses were less open to innovation, it was difficult in the beginning. But Covid did drive a change in the market perception of EVs. In 2019, nobody was really talking about electrification. But in 2020, we started to see regulations pushing for EVs as pressure grew on governments to fight climate change.
How far are you from being a fully functioning, commercially viable lithium recycler?
Our first milestone is to build the pilot site in Singapore, which should be up and running by the third quarter of this year. It may not be fully automated, but we will be able to collect all the data we need to scale the operation. We can achieve scale easier than other recyclers, because we use a cell stacks system that works like Lego. It allows us to adapt to changing market demand very quickly.
The EV market in Singapore is still young. Will you have enough used battery feedstock to sustain the business?
There isn’t the same level of feedstock in Singapore as there is in other markets, like China, Europe and the United States. So we will be looking to expand overseas over the next few of years. There is already a decent supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in Singapore from older EVs, hybrid vehicles, energy storage units, power tools and forklifts. We’re working with a battery crushing company in Singapore, Secure Waste Management, that provides us with feedstock.
Where will you look to expand?
Where the big global EV markets are. Lithium is a key commodity for EVs. All of the world’s big EV markets are setting up their own domestic supply chains for EVs. Shipping batteries is more dangerous than transporting your average household products, so there’s a need for local recycling infrastructure to keep EVs materials in circulation locally. It also reduces logistical costs and the carbon footprint of production. This is why Tesla is setting up a new giga factory [which makes lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle components] in the US, in addition to its factories in Europe and China. In China, more than 60 per cent of batteries are LFP now — and nobody’s recycling it. It’s an untapped market.
Clearly there’s a huge market opportunity for your technology, and the timing seems to be right. But what are the key challenges you’re facing?
One is regulatory support. This is still a new industry, and some regulations still need to be worked out along the way. But I feel the Singapore government is supportive of EVs [the government recently set a new target to reduce the city-state’s land transport emissions by 80 per cent from its 2016 peak “by or around mid-century”, and plans for every public housing area to be EV-ready by 2025].
Another is finding the right talent and skillset in a new field in a country with a young EV market [Oh is currently looking to hire an electrochemical engineer], particularly as we look to scale. Our company is built on technology. As long as we can demonstrate the technology with a successful pilot, the business and the partners will come, because we offer a recycling solution that nobody else has. People form the core of our technical knowledge, and we’re always looking for more.
Also, getting noticed by car manufacturers is not easy, as we are still small. I know that Tesla will be interested in us, as they will need to find a recycling solution in Singapore. If I could have five minutes with Elon Musk, I just need to tell him that we are recycling LFP batteries. I’m hoping that with the pilot site, we’ll be able to attract these guys to come down to look at what we’re trying to do.
Pressure on supply of the materials needed to make electric cars has provided impetus to supporters of deep-sea mining. What are your thoughts on deep-sea mining?
Deep-sea mining could ruin ocean ecosystems so that we can electrify the transport industry. It is ironic that we would be destroying the environment to protect the environment. But I do understand the reasons for deep-sea mining. Governments are in a race to electrify transport. If they don’t electrify as fast as other countries, they lose competitive advantage.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I hope that we will have a global presence, with Singapore as the hub for innovation, with around 100 people. We’ll be recycling all LFP batteries and reducing a proportion of the waste from the EV industry. I want to create an industry that is clean and sustainable. People drive a Tesla because they want to be green. But a lot of people don’t realise how much pollution is created from mining materials and manufacturing EVs. We want to be able to offset some of this pollution.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
This story is part of a series on the finalists of The Liveability Challenge, an annual search for solutions to make Southeast Asia’s cities cleaner, greener places to live and work, backed by Temasek Foundation.
Gardens by the Bay is the first destination in Singapore to be included in the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations Programme, which is accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), said EarthCheck and Gardens by the Bay in a joint statement on Wednesday (April 13).
The programme, which started in 2003, works with tourism destinations to facilitate and foster responsible environmental and social planning and management practices.
A total of 27 destinations are included in the programme, among which are Glasgow, Nuuk in Greenland, and two places in Australia: the Whitsunday Region near the Great Barrier Reef and Rottnest Island.
EarthCheck was created in 1987 as a scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism.
The programme provides operators with a holistic framework to benchmark and certify their environmental and social performance, in an effort to address some of the challenges facing the planet such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
Another similar benchmarking programme is by Green Destinations, a non-profit organisation for sustainable destination development and recognition based in the Netherlands supporting more than 200 destinations.
The Green Destinations Certification Committee supervises certification and benchmark awards based on the GSTC-recognised Green Destinations standard and other standards.
It helps destination managers and stakeholders enhance the destination’s sustainability and tourism quality.
“As we mark the 10th anniversary of Gardens by the Bay this year, we are renewing our commitment to being part of Singapore’s sustainability story. We aim to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism by benchmarking against GSTC-recognised international standards through the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations Programme,” said Mr Felix Loh, chief executive officer of Gardens by the Bay.
The EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations Programme is in line with Gardens by the Bay’s sustainability road map, which was recently developed based on the ESG (environment, social and corporate governance) model to drive the destination’s sustainability efforts in the future.
Nearly 90 Housing Board blocks in Yishun and Jurong will be installed with a system in the coming years to harvest rainwater for non-potable uses at the common areas.
This is the first time that the UrbanWater Harvesting System (UWHS) will be installed in existing housing estates, said the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Monday (Mar 28). Previously they were rolled out at suitable new Build-to-Order (BTO) projects.
“Unlike in new BTO projects where the UWHS infrastructure can be planned and designed upfront to ensure it is located where the most amount of rainwater can be collected through the drain networks, retrofitting the UWHS into existing estates is more challenging,” said HDB.
This is because it involves analysing the flow of the rainwater in the catchment area and identifying suitable locations to place the system amid other essential services infrastructure.
The pilot project in Yishun and Jurong will cover 89 blocks.
HDB said the systems would potentially reap 17,500 cubic metres of water savings per year, or the average yearly consumption of potable water of over 85 units of four-room HDB flats.
The tender for the project was called on Monday. It will close on May 20, with construction expected to take place between 2023 and 2027.
“HDB will study the cost-effectiveness of the system in reducing potable water consumption and mitigating flood risks in existing HDB estates, before deciding on the extent of future scale-up to other suitable estates,” the agency said.
HDB Blocks to be Installed with UrbanWater Harvesting System in Yishun and Jurong.
The UrbanWater Harvesting System, first introduced in 2018, is designed to maximise the volume of rainwater collected by harvesting stormwater surface runoff from the ground area surrounding multiple residential blocks, said HDB.
Stormwater is channelled to a harvesting tank, before being pumped into a treatment room.
A single UWHS can harvest and dispense water to as many as 12 residential blocks for non-potable uses such as washing common areas and watering plants in HDB estates, said the agency.
“In addition, the channelling of stormwater into the UWHS’ harvesting and detention tank can mitigate potential flood risks in an estate in the event of a heavy downpour, by slowing down the rate of discharge of stormwater into the drainage system downstream,” HDB added.
Schematic of how the UrbanWater Harvesting System works. (Graphic: HDB)
Solar Panel Installation
HDB is also progressing with its solar panel projects under the SolarNova programme, awarding the sixth tender for the installation of solar panels at 1,198 HDB blocks and 57 government sites.
The tender was awarded to the joint venture of Digo Corporation and Terrenus Energy, said HDB on Monday, noting that there were six bids from both local and foreign companies.
Installation of the solar panels is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022 and be completed by the first quarter of 2025, reaping a solar PV capacity of 70 MWp, said HDB.
The agency has put out a total of seven solar leasing tenders under the programme, with the latest called in February.
“HDB has committed a total solar capacity of 380 MWp or equivalent to powering 95,000 four-room flats with solar energy, bringing us a step closer to realising our solar target of 540 MWp by 2030,” said the agency.
When the Clydebank Declaration — a global pact to establish zero-emission maritime routes between ports — was launched at the COP26 climate summit in November last year, Singapore’s name was missing from the list of nearly 20 signatories.
As the world’s largest container transhipment hub, the republic plays a critical role in the global network of seaports. It is connected to 600 ports in over 120 countries.
Momentum for shipping decarbonisation initiatives, however, has been rising in recent months for Singapore. Hot on the heels of the launch of a maritime decarbonisation blueprint last month, it announced joining the Clydebank Declaration this Monday, becoming the 23rd signatory to do so.
Speaking at the opening of the Singapore Maritime Week, Singapore’s transport minister S. Iswaran said that Singapore has been a staunch supporter of initiatives led by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
“Looking ahead, decarbonisation is a major challenge for the maritime industry. As a global maritime hub, Singapore seeks to contribute to this critical effort in a flexible and inclusive way,” he said.
The minister also announced the setting up of an international advisory panel for the maritime sector. Led by business leaders in the industry, it will be focused on fostering collaboration and developing a robust maritime strategy, said Iswaran.
Over 20 countries including the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada have signed the Clydebank Declaration to develop at least six green shipping corridors between two or more ports by 2025. The initiative was mooted by the United Kingdom.
Such corridors are likened to the creation of special economic zones at sea. They allow companies to deploy and phase-in net-zero propulsion technologies, as well as infrastructure required for the transition to green fuels.
Last week, five Northern European port authorities announced a partnership with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to lay the foundations for a green corridor serving Northern Europe and the Baltics. The five ports are Gdynia, Hamburg, Roenne, Rotterdam and Tallinn.
The IMO had earlier said that global shipping emissions might increase by 130 per cent by 2050. In 2020, it set a limit on the sulphur content in the fuel oil used on board ships from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent by mass.
It is now calling for a 50 per cent drop in carbon dioxide emissions in the shipping industry by 2050.
Shipping a ‘star performer’ despite global pandemic
At the Maritime Week’s opening, Singapore’s deputy prime minister and coordinating minister for economic policies Heng Swee Keat said that the fundamentals of the shipping industry in Singapore remain strong, despite facing uncertainties brought about by an ongoing pandemic and the recent Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“The medium term outlook for global maritime trade is good. Some had earlier thought of the IMO’s 2020 target as the ‘Y2K problem’ of shipping, but I am glad that the industry managed to make a seamless transition to using very low sulphur fuel oil,” he said, describing the shipping sector as a “star performer” that has been keeping the economy growing.
The ‘Y2K’ or the so-called “Millennium Bug”, a problem in the coding of computerised systems, was projected to create havoc in computers around the world at the beginning of the year 2000. After more than a year of international alarm and feverish preparations, few major failures occured during the transition.
But Heng warns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has disrupted shipping directly. More than 100 ships are now stuck in ports in the Black Sea, with several damaged due to the conflict. “Russia and Ukraine account for 15 per cent of the global seafaring workforce and there could potentially be manpower disruptions to the maritime sector,” he said.
Heng also spoke about how Singapore’s banking sector can support shipping decarbonisation. Singapore is looking to build a green ship financing ecosystem and develop a suite of financing options to enable the green transition, he said.
As a global financial centre, some 20 international banks based in Singapore have ship finance portfolios. Singapore also has a pool of venture capital private equity that it can tap on, said Heng.
The Singapore Maritime Week gathers the international maritime community for a week of flagship conferences, dialogues and forums.
Did you know that 80 per cent of our regular shampoo is made of water? This water however does not enhance the formula in any way. On the contrary, it dilutes the product so consumers need a larger quantity for a single wash.
“The thing is, when you shampoo, you still need to wet your hair to lather the product. So why do we need to add water to the shampoo formula in the first place?” said Lynn Tan, founder of The Powder Shampoo.
“Also, why are we transporting gallons and gallons of liquid shampoo around the world? The water makes it heavier than it needs to be. And because of the liquid, brands usually use single-use plastic to store the product. It is all so unnecessary.”
Her solution is so logical, it is a wonder no big brands have picked up on it sooner. To reduce single-use plastic and the carbon footprint of transporting products – simply subtract water from the formula.
This April, Tan will launch four variants of Singapore’s very first powder shampoo. Don’t confuse these for dry shampoo, which you sprinkle on your scalp to absorb excess oil. Tan has designed her product to be applied directly to wet hair for the full lathering shampoo experience.
THE POWDER REVOLUTION
Beauty insiders will know Tan. The 43-year-old runs a distribution business BBN International, which specialises in botanical brands such as Phyto, Lierac and Trilogy.
In early 2021 however, as she was watching Netflix documentaries on sustainability, she felt increasingly shaken and saddened, and began asking questions about the beauty industry – especially the need for single-use plastic bottles in personal care products.
“Only 9 per cent of plastic is recycled; 12 per cent is incinerated, which releases toxic fumes into the air. The rest is living among us.
“This plastic harms our ecosystem, birds, animals and sea creatures. It also becomes microplastic, goes in the air we breathe and the water we drink, and affects our lungs, brain, nervous system and reproductive system. A lot of reports show that plastic is poisoning us,” she said.
“This led me to wonder if there will be a beautiful earth left for my children, my grandchildren and everyone’s grandchildren if we keep going like this,” added the mother-of-three.
Tapping into her extensive haircare expertise, Lynn Tan created Singapore’s first powder shampoo and tweaked the formula 10 times to get it right. (Photo: The Powder Shampoo)
It also dawned upon Tan that she has been part of the problem. “As a business owner, you want to sell as much as you can, as often as you can, to as many people as you can. However, the more I sell, the more I contribute to this plastic plague,” she reflected.
“While a lot of us are trying to be eco-friendly, it is so hard because we have very limited sustainable options. You can shampoo less, pick products that use recycled plastic packaging (but these can only be recycled once), or use shampoo bars.”
While shampoo bars were a good option, Tan did not enjoy the experience. She wanted a sustainable product that was “easy to use, lathers nicely and smells amazing”.
Tan decided to go to the drawing board to create her own product from scratch. And so The Powder Shampoo was born.
WHY SWITCH TO POWDER?
Tan’s product is not the first powder shampoo. Over the past couple of years, a handful of cult brands from the US, UK and New Zealand have launched similar products.
Most consumers, however, aren’t even aware of them. And Tan’s goal is to create more awareness and more options.
“This should be a new movement and new category because you would reduce so much single-use plastic just by switching to powder,” she said.
Tan also stressed that powder shampoos are longer lasting, reduce overconsumption and are more cost effective as compared to liquid shampoos. “You only need 0.5g to wash short hair, 1g to wash shoulder length hair, and 1.5g to 2g to wash thick long hair. Our 100g bottle can last for 100 washes, which means you only need to buy a new bottle in three to six months,” she said.
She added: “In comparison, a 100ml bottle of liquid shampoo only lasts for 10 washes on average. Most liquid shampoos are 250ml to 500ml and only last for one to two months.”
The Powder Shampoo’s water-free formulas are easy to use, gentle on your scalp and hair, and leave it feeling soft and bouncy after each wash.
A self-confessed aromatherapy junkie, Tan incorporated micro-encapsulated essential oils such as bergamot, grapefruit, tea tree and mint into the products. These double as a natural preservative, giving the paraben-free products a shelf life of two years after opening.
She also uses a biodegradable coconut-based ingredient as a sulphate-free surfactant to thoroughly cleanse the scalp.
Tan has taken pains to ensure her shampoos are free of common controversial ingredients. These include: Parabens and phthalates, which Tan believes harms the body; silicone, which may clog pores and harm marine creatures when it goes into the water stream; sulphates, retinol, artificial fragrances and mineral oils, which may irritate sensitive skin.
The products are vegan and cruelty-free. “There is no need to use animal byproducts when we have so many options in the plant world. And there is certainly no need to test products on non-consenting animals when there are so many people willing to volunteer to try the product,” stressed Tan, who tested her products on 100 friends and colleagues from Singapore, Canada, Europe, the Philippines and China, to ensure that they suit different climates, hair types and types of water – including hard water.
In place of plastic, Tan says The Powder Shampoo is packaged in aluminium bottles because each one can be recycled 100 times or more. (Photo: The Powder Shampoo)
Packaging was another big concern for the eco-entrepreneur. She chose aluminium because it is durable, light and can be infinitely recycled, unlike plastic, which can only be recycled once.
To reduce the production of aluminium bottles, Tan also offers 100g refill packs of the shampoo, which are packaged in 100 per cent paper; all products are available on the brand’s online store.
FEEL GOOD BEAUTY
Having said that, one cannot help but wonder why powder shampoo as a haircare category hasn’t taken off sooner? Tan has a theory. She believes it goes against the grain of how businesses usually run.
“As a big brand, if you create a culture of people buying shampoo every month, why would you suddenly create a product where people buy from you every quarter or only twice a year?” she asked.
Nonetheless, the straight-shooting businesswoman is not afraid to speak out against liquid shampoos even though it remains one of the key products she currently distributes. “Why hasn’t haircare evolved? Why are we still making shampoos the same way as we have in the 50s?” she asked.
Will speaking out alienate the brands she distributes? “It may,” she mused. “Then maybe (the big brands) want to do something about it? My dream is not to be the only one selling powder shampoo, but for everyone to sell it because it makes the most sense. I hope this will create a ripple effect across the globe.”
Another cool bonus for consumers, The Powder Shampoo works with non-profit organisation Tree-Nation. So each time you purchase a bottle, you will get an email notifying you that a tree has been planted in your name in Tanzania, Eastern Africa.
Tan spent her childhood playing at her mother’s plant nursery in Malaysia and is a huge tree lover. “My dream is to plant a million trees by 2030, or in this lifetime. This is my beacon and will be my legacy. It’s important to choose a beacon that you feel deeply for, so you can look towards it when times are tough and you feel lost,” she said.
Lynn Tan credits her children (from left) Julian, 6, Kaela, 13, and Reynna, 17, for inspiring her to create The Powder Shampoo; when she has to work weekends, her husband helps with childcare duties. (Photo: The Powder Shampoo)
After this launch, Tan will be introducing head-to-toe washes in the third quarter of this year and powder conditioners in the last quarter.
“I spent the first 20 years of my career as an advocate for scalp care, hair care and plant-based products, but I contributed to the plastic problem. I feel everything has come full circle and I will spend the next 20 years trying to address this problem (with powder shampoos),” she said.
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email [email protected].
Switching lights off when they are not in use, turning up the temperature on air-conditioning, and saving water – these may seem like small actions, but they are vital to the fight against climate change.
Today, buildings are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, with their construction and operations contributing 11 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. Efforts to improve their sustainability are not going far enough, and buildings remain “off track” to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in November.
Managing climate-friendly and energy-efficient buildings is crucial to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming under 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably under 1.5°C, but there are many challenges.
“Since 2010, rising demand for energy services in buildings – particularly electricity to power cooling equipment, appliances and connected devices – has been outpacing energy efficiency and decarbonisation gains,” the IEA said. “Very high temperatures and prolonged heatwaves set records in many countries, driving up demand for air-conditioning.”
The United Nations, in its latest climate assessment published in February, added that if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, all Asian regions studied in the report – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam – will be affected by dangerously high heat and humidity levels, sea level rise, flooding and other physical climate risks.
As governments aim to meet ambitious climate goals, they will increasingly look to the building sector to reduce its impact on the environment.
By accelerating digitalisation and embracing the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and other innovative digital technologies, we can achieve smarter, healthier and more sustainable buildings.
Chang Sau Sheong, chief executive, SP Digital
In Singapore, for instance, buildings make up over a third of the country’s electricity consumption. The city-state’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) notes that the built environment plays a “major role” in helping to achieve the national sustainability agenda to tackle climate change and global warming.
This presents huge opportunities, and challenges, for landlords trying to drive efficiencies in commercial buildings. Technology is key in this effort, according to SP Digital, the digital arm of SP Group, a utilities group in Asia Pacific that focuses on low carbon, smart energy solutions.
“By accelerating digitalisation and embracing the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and other innovative digital technologies, we can achieve smarter, healthier and more sustainable buildings,” said Chang Sau Sheong, chief executive of SP Digital.
Mindset shifts key to green buildings
Setting regulatory benchmarks and fiscal policies has helped to green buildings and boost efficiencies. Technologies and smart systems have also improved sustainability. But changing the behaviour of landlords and tenants could prove to be the biggest hurdle yet.
Dr Clayton Miller, assistant professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) who leads its Building and Urban Data Science Lab, told Eco-Business that there are many underused green building technologies, including innovative cooling systems that tap on high temperature radiant, desiccant dehumidification and mixed-mode ventilation.
“There are too many decision-makers who want to play it safe and stick with conventional systems, because they are afraid that trying something different will bring problems,” he said.
Some property owners and landlords may be put off by the costs and difficulties of retrofitting older buildings for sustainability. For example, installing green technologies may require space that is scarce in buildings not designed for them.
“With the myriad of green technologies out there, one of the key challenges that building owners may face is simply how and where to start the retrofitting process,” added Associate Professor Kua Harn Wei, of the Department of the Built Environment, NUS School of Design and Environment.
A smart way to achieve sustainability
Tenants may be stymied by a lack of data too, noted Chang. “Most landlords and property owners provide monthly utility bills, which makes it challenging for tenants to know how and where to best focus their efficiency efforts, and track how they are faring,” according to Chang.
A typical office in Singapore expends most – 60 per cent – of its energy on cooling, according to BCA. Lighting takes up 15 per cent of consumption.
GET TenantCare is a smart and automated tenant submetering solution designed to help landlords and property owners efficiently manage tenant utilities consumption. [Click to enlarge] Image: SP Digital.
To give tenants and landlords more granular data to manage their energy and water use, SP Digital created Green Energy Tech (GET) TenantCare, a smart and automated tenant submetering solution. Tenants and landlords can get visibility of their utilities consumption in granularity of 30-minute intervals, unlocking more ways to save electricity and water. The platform not only increases operational efficiency, but can improve tenant engagement that will drive sustainability efforts, Chang said.
As a tenant, for instance, you can better understand how you use electricity, get alerted to unusual usage earlier, find out which of your equipment is using a lot of energy, whether through faults or inefficiency, and make changes to lower your energy consumption.
“If you’re a landlord, you can use our solution to automatically calculate your tenants’ energy use intensity, based on their units’ energy usage and gross floor area. You can identify which tenants are using more electricity than expected and engage with them to persuade them to adopt more energy-efficient equipment or habits,” Chang said.
Smart technologies have other advantages. With GET TenantCare’s automated meter readings, landlords do not have to deploy manpower to check on and read the meters. This also eliminates human errors in the readings.
Smart building management systems, connected to motion and other occupancy sensors and weather forecasting systems, can automatically adjust air-conditioning temperatures, switch off unneeded lights, and do more to save electricity and water while maintaining comfort for occupants.
Promoting greener behaviours
With insights from smart technologies leading to quick wins in energy and water savings, landlords and tenants may be more motivated to continue on their sustainability journey.
“If people have good experiences trying out sustainable behaviours, they are likely to repeat them and form green habits over time,” Dr Sonny Rosenthal, cluster director of smart and sustainable building technologies at the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), told Eco-Business.
Other novel systems and ideas could enable tenants and landlords to work in tandem to slash the carbon footprint of the buildings they occupy.
SP Digital’s GET Engaged solution is a digital dashboard that provides updates on buildings’ electricity and water use, and the resulting carbon emissions. When displayed in lobbies and other public areas, the information could spur tenants to make more sustainable choices.
Equipping people with relevant skills is essential too. Last year, the Singapore government launched the Sustainability in Singapore programme, which trains people from organisations to be green ambassadors.
This includes teaching them how to design effective sustainability campaigns to persuade their colleagues and other occupants in their buildings to be more environmentally friendly.
BCA chief executive Kelvin Wong explained: “As a building user myself, we tend to think that staying in green buildings alone is sufficient. But this is not true. Practising sustainable behaviour within building premises is equally important to make the most of green buildings.”
“Hand in hand, both green buildings and sustainable user behaviour would translate to lower carbon emissions, with the added advantage of monetary savings,” he added.
The BCA has also created “green lease” toolkits to guide landlords and tenants in crafting mutually-agreed-upon, sustainability-related agreements for office and retail buildings. These would set out objectives for how the building is to be improved, managed and occupied to reduce its impact on the environment.
Greener buildings go beyond providing environmental and economic benefits, Chang noted. Greener buildings can also enhance occupants’ health and overall well-being.
