New systems help old buildings save energy [News]

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 9 Jan 2012.

At a corner of Golden Mile Tower is a dim, but airy room, filled with whirring equipment, the shiny new pumps and chillers looking bright against the dusty walls.

Though the office-and-retail block on Beach Road is four decades old, it had all this installed last year, along with a cooling tower and a panel to monitor the performance of the system.

The hardware, fitted in to conserve energy, has done its job.

The block’s power bills have been cut by $30,000 a month, from $100,000.

The owners of older buildings such as this one and People’s Park Complex are sinking money into such systems ahead of energy-related laws that may be passed this year. Read more

LTA’s new role fuels talk of emission-based tax [News]

By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 6 Dec 2011.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will take over the fuel efficiency labelling of cars from the National Environment Agency (NEA) next year – a move that industry players say could pave the way for an emission-based vehicle tax system in the longer term.

Such a taxation system uses the amount of tailpipe emissions to determine how much a motorist pays in road tax or even excise duty, and has been adopted by several countries in recent years.

Asked if this was the eventual plan, an LTA spokesman would say only: ‘As announced by the Minister for Finance at Budget 2011, the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review on measures to promote the adoption of green vehicles, as part of our efforts to promote sustainable development.’ Read more

Energy efficient programme to assist low-income households [News]

By Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia, 5 Nov 2011.

In the next three years, low-income households in central Singapore will have their light bulbs converted to energy-efficient alternatives.

The aim is to help them save a collective $160,000 in utilities bills.

And if successful, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the project could be rolled out nationwide.

Madam Annie has been living with her sister in a one-room rental flat for six years.

The 62-year-old widow chalks up a monthly average of $60 on utility bills, and the switch to an energy-efficient bulb makes a difference.

“It (energy-efficient bulb) makes the house look brighter, and it’s going to last longer I’ve heard. It’s going to save me about $2 a month and about $20 to 24 a year,” said Madam Annie, a Jalan Bukit Merah resident. Read more

Speech by Andrew Tan, National Environment Agency CEO, at The Solar Pioneer Awards Ceremony 2011 [Speeches]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Introduction

I am happy to be here with you this morning at the Solar Pioneer Awards Ceremony 2011, jointly organized by the Economic Development Board (EDB), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS). This ceremony coincides with the inaugural PV Asia Pacific Expo and the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW). For those of you joining us from abroad, I extend a warm welcome to Singapore.

The Road Ahead – Rapid Urbanisation, Economic Growth and Energy Diversification

Just two days ago, the world population reached 7 billion people. Half that number lives in cities, with another half waiting to enter. If you were to view the world from space, you will see a globe that is dotted with thousands of lights, some brighter, others dimmer. Each of those dots represents a city, town or a village. And you ask yourself – where will we find all this power to light up our homes and industry? As cities grow, the demand for energy increases, so does the price, and all indications point to the end of an era of cheap energy. Read more

Saving energy, reaping the benefits [News]

By Melody Tan, Today, 5 Oct 2011.

If your doorbell rings one day, don’t be surprised to find a student outside, ready to share energy conservation tips with you.

The home monitoring visits are part of the Responsible Energy Advocates Programme (REAP), a sustainability programme developed by PowerSeraya in partnership with the National Environment Agency (NEA) and South West Community Development Council (CDC).

REAP is the first programme to engage with the people, public and private sectors in encouraging energy conservation.

According to PowerSeraya chief executive officer John Ng, REAP aims to train tertiary students to be energy advocates who can pass their newfound knowledge on to households, resulting in the conservation of both energy and money, in the form of reduced utility bills. Read more

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