Smart And Sustainable Buildings 2025 Key Drivers Greener Future
The built environment in Singapore is on the cusp of significant transformation as we approach 2025. With the implementation of the mandatory energy improvement regime, the impact of rising temperatures on energy costs, and the growing trend towards adaptive reuse in construction, the facilities management sector is under pressure to adapt and enhance its sustainability practices.
As we head towards the year 2025, Singapore’s built environment is set to undergo a major transformation. The facilities management (FM) sector is facing increasing pressure to adapt to changing regulatory demands, cost constraints, and technological advancements. Three key factors will shape the future of FM and improve its sustainability: the mandatory energy improvement regime, the effects of rising temperatures on energy costs, and the growing trend of adaptive reuse in construction.
The Mandatory Energy Improvement regime, set to begin in the third quarter of 2025, will require existing energy-intensive buildings to undergo energy audits and implement energy-efficient measures. This mandate applies to commercial, healthcare, institutional, civic, community, and educational buildings with a gross floor area of over 5,000 sq m. These buildings are expected to reduce their energy usage intensity by 10% from pre-energy audit levels, a goal that can be achieved by implementing the right strategies.
Asset owners are encouraged to take a medium to long-term view on capital investments in energy-efficient systems. The energy audits will provide valuable information on energy consumption patterns, identify areas of improvement, and guide asset owners in prolonging the lifespan of their assets, reducing operational costs in the long run, and contributing to a more sustainable built environment. Building owners can also take advantage of grants to help cover the costs of energy efficiency upgrades.
The first smart campus in Singapore, Temasek Polytechnic, embarked on a digitalization project in 2021. This project offers valuable insights into the future of smart and sustainable facilities management. Their smart campus uses a suite of solutions to digitize campus operations, including facility booking, automating repair and maintenance work orders, crowd management, and temperature control measures. These systems are connected through a common data environment, which generates data that is visualized, tracked, and monitored at a control center on campus. This allows the campus operations team to make informed decisions on how to keep the building’s operational systems efficient and sustainable.
Temasek Polytechnic’s experience serves as a model for smart and sustainable facilities management. By embracing digitalization, data analytics, and sustainable practices, the sector can drive sustainability, reduce costs, and ensure long-term operational success.
Another driving force for sustainability in FM will come from climate disclosure obligations for all listed and large non-listed companies with revenues of at least $1 billion and total assets of at least $500 million by 2027.
Rising temperatures and energy costs will also push for investments in predictive technology. Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems are major contributors to operational costs, accounting for about 60% of total energy expenses in many buildings. Optimizing energy systems is critical in mitigating rising energy costs. Building owners can achieve this by implementing energy-efficient solutions such as energy recovery systems or thermal energy storage. Additionally, optimizing chiller plant operations to match changing weather conditions reduces energy waste and costs.
At a city and precinct level, extreme weather events like flooding and urban heat can threaten the health and performance of critical infrastructure such as drainage and plumbing systems. With a clear understanding of these climate change risks, building owners and city planners can leverage advances in web-based geospatial IT to identify flood-prone areas or extremely heat-exposed spaces. This will enable them to create a comprehensive operational plan to predict and mitigate weather events, minimize equipment failure and downtime, and optimize chiller plant operations.
The increasing construction costs are driving a shift towards adaptive reuse, with the rate of redevelopment in Singapore accelerating in the past five years. According to Surbana Jurong (SJ), mechanical and electrical costs have increased by approximately 30% compared to pre-Covid levels. This rise can be attributed to a 77% increase in logistic shipping costs, a 9% increase in labor costs, and a 15% increase in construction material prices like copper, as well as a shortage of mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractors. This trend is leading to the adoption of smart design and engineering practices, including the use of collaborative common data environments to benchmark construction and operational costs.
Adaptive reuse is becoming a popular response to rising costs. Platforms that support integrated digital delivery allow real estate developers and contractors to gain real-time insights into key performance indicators such as time, cost, quality, and safety. For instance, Surbana Jurong and Lendlease’s digital platform, Podium, aims to create a digital ecosystem that connects developers, designers, and the supply chain to deliver high construction productivity and promote sustainable building practices.
By consolidating data from multiple sources, all stakeholders across the various stages of the building cycle – from design to construction to delivery and operations – can access valuable information on design, civil and structural engineering plans, construction materials, and components. This will drive deliberate goals to minimize embodied carbon levels. Data on structural frames, superstructures, and foundations are critical when building owners have to decide whether to redevelop or reuse them, that is, applying the adaptive reuse approach. Retaining these elements can save time, labor, and materials.
One of the biggest selling points of Parktown Residence is its strategic location near Tampines North MRT Station, which is poised to play an important role in the upcoming Cross Island Line (CRL). With this station, residents will have direct access to the city centre, Jurong Lake District, and Changi Airport, making it convenient to reach key work and leisure destinations. Additionally, the presence of a Downtown Line station and a bus interchange within the estate adds to the seamless connectivity of Parktown Residence.
After construction, Podium can integrate with other operational platforms to track building performance metrics such as energy, waste, water, indoor air quality, and occupancy trends. This will drive operational carbon reduction goals. As the utility cost of ACMV chiller plants can quickly spiral post-construction when buildings start operations, it is essential to monitor and analyze their performance using sensors. Implementing predictive maintenance for ACMV equipment can help reduce downtime and improve efficiency.
For example, sensors can analyze the vibrations in chiller equipment to detect wear or impending failures of the rotating equipment. Similarly, thermographic testing can identify abnormal temperatures in the system. AI-powered monitoring systems can also be deployed to track the performance of various components in a building’s M&E system using sensors. This provides valuable information to building owners, who can then make informed decisions on whether to retrofit or replace parts based on their performance and frequency of breakdowns. This can be a cost-effective option compared to replacing entire systems.
Smart buildings can also mitigate further cost pressures by maximizing the life cycle of capex-heavy equipment such as ACMVs, lifts, and air handling units. This can be done through a data-driven, long-term approach that prioritizes energy savings to offset energy tariffs from the capital expenditures in procuring these assets. This investment in smart building infrastructure also helps building owners comply with local and international regulations and sustainable financing requirements.
This is possible because sensors can monitor and track the performance of each component in a piece of equipment. By collecting data on a regular basis, building owners can identify various options, including retrofitting or replacing entire systems. This can be a cost-effective way to ensure energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.
In conclusion, the future of FM in Singapore looks promising as the sector adapts to changing demands and embraces new technologies. By leveraging these three key drivers – the mandatory energy improvement regime, the impact of rising temperatures on energy costs, and the growing trend towards adaptive reuse – the FM sector can drive sustainability, reduce costs, and ensure long-term operational success.