Prime Minister’s office on track to be certified green

A RM110 million transformation of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), into a certified green building is on track to be completed by mid-2014.

This is a private finance initiative (PFI), by KFM Holdings and its energy management solutions partner Schneider Electric, aiming at achieving up to 40% energy saving.

I have attended numerous roadshows by Schneider Electric and they are actually very aggressive in promoting energy management solutions for commercial buildings and other industrial applications.


Front view of the Prime Minister's Office (Perdana Putra). Image source, with public permission.


The good thing about such initiative is that the government has no obligation to pay the private party until the private party proves and delivers its products or services. So until the initiative is proven to have achieved GBI platinum rating certificate, there will no payment from the government. I like that!

The RM110 million will be utilised in six key areas, namely:

• energy efficiency,
• indoor environmental quality,
• sustainable site planning and management,
• material and resources,
• water efficiency,
• innovation,

which are components in the GBI framework. According to the companies involved in this project, the bulk of the fund will be spent on energy efficiency.

The retrofitting project is estimated to save RM2 million in energy usage per year as compared to the current RM6 million annual bill of the PMO and is the largest retrofitting project for government buildings in Asia so far.

Further reading: Schneider Electric, KFM Holdings To Transform PMO Into Certified Green Building


TheGreenMechanics: It is actually a very interesting venture when you set No-saving-no-payment condition in the initiative. We have been approached previously by a West Malaysia-based company specialising in energy saving and the presentation actually looks attractive.

But many bosses are still unwilling to invest in saving.

UMS launches Green Office Awareness campaign

A couple of years back, I attended a public briefing by SESB on the proposed construction of coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu. During the business matching presentation, an officer mentioned that Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu campus is the single biggest energy consumer in Sabah.

So, this campaign is actually overdue but it's good that they have decided on things, and went ahead with the commendable effort.

UMS Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mohd Harun launching the Sabah Green Campus Office Awareness campaign.
Image: Daily Express


Attitude shift

It's attitude and practice that matter! For a campus with hundreds of air-conditioned room, and with so many structures that use massive amount of energy, the most important 'parameter' that the higher learning institute needs to address is the people's attitude towards energy conservation.

A 'simple click' on the power switch as you leave the lecture theater or tutorial room can make a whole lot of difference. You can make the difference today!

"Through the Green Office Awareness campaign, it is hoped that UMS citizens can change their attitudes that can help save energy in the workplace.., that this attitude change can help reduce daily operating costs in energy consumption in the campus and through this environmental sustainability, demonstrate an exemplary commitment to environmental conservation"
- Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah, UMS Vice Chancellor

Green Office Awareness Campaign by UMS (Extracted from Borneo Post, July 23)

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has taken another step towards becoming a reference centre in environmental conservation among higher learning institutes (IPT) in the country.

The university yesterday launched a Green Office Awareness Campaign, as part of a five-year strategic conservation plan it adopted in February this year, which will make it the first campus in Malaysia to achieve ‘EcoCampus’ status by 2017.

Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah, when officiating at the launch held at the UMS Chancellory Building, said the university is fully ready to embrace environmental values and elements in all aspects of its daily operation.

The objective of the awareness campaign, he said, was to put greater emphasis on smart management of energy and other resources in the campus.

“We strongly believe that UMS as an IPT should be responsible in promoting and enhancing knowledge and awareness on environment protection, especially among its campus community. While we prosper economically, sometimes, we don’t realize that the use of modern technology such as air-conditioners could contribute to pollution and global warming. As such, it is our hope that through this campaign, we will be able to inspire a change of attitude in everyone in UMS, towards better managing and utilizing energy,” he said.

He added that smart consumption of energy and resources is not only in tandem with the university’s effort in environment conservation but will also help reduce operation cost significantly.

Selangor has the largest number of Green Buildings

Green Building is not just a term or a definition.

Green buildings (GBs) help you save money through reduced energy and water consumption, and for housing development projects, in a long run GBs lower down the operations and maintenance costs. You can also apply this concept to a house you plan to build.

According to Eco-B Workshop 2013 which was held recently in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor has the largest number of GBI projects, meaning more buildings with the green concept accreditation.

Artist impression of Bandar Rimbayu, Kota Kemuning Selangor. Image credit: starproperty.my

Ken Rimba in Shah Alam is known as Malaysia's 1st Award Wining Green Township. Photo credit: budiey.com


The case for Green Buildings

Selangor is leading in terms of having the largest number of registered green building index (GBI) projects, totalling 166, with Kuala Lumpur following closely behind. The following is the list of states/territories in Malaysia with GBI projects:

No		State/Territory	GBI projects
1		Selangor	166
2		Kuala Lumpur	117
3		Penang	31
4		Putrajaya	21
5		Johor	16
6		Malacca	10
8		Negeri Sembilan	6
7		Pahang	6
9		Sabah	5
10		Sarawak	5
11		Perak	4
12		Kedah	1
13		Kelantan	1
14		Terengganu	0
15		Labuan	0
		TOTAL	389

There is a total of 389 registered GBI projects in Malaysia. Of this, 125 of them have been certified. The 125 figure includes the latest batch of certified projects announced at the recent Eco-B Workshop 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.

The latest batch includes:

• Tun Razak Exchange (township) under the platinum category, the highest classification for GBs under the GBI. This brings to a total of six projects falling under this category.

• Bandar Rimbayu, formerly Canal City (township) under the silver category, thus contributing to a total of 19 projects under this category.

• Ken Rimba (township).

• Ken Rimba Legian Residences (residential new construction or RNC).

• First Residence (RNC) by TSI Domain Sdn Bhd.

• Hotel Penaga (non-residential) under the gold category, the second highest classification under the GBI.

• Digi Technology Operation Centre (non-residential), which also falls under the gold category. This brings to a total of 28 projects under this category.

• Lam Soon Distribution Centre (industrial new construction or INC).

GBI Township rating criteria

The rating criteria for a GBI township involve six areas: climate, energy and water; ecology and environment; community planning and design; transportation and connectivity; building and resources, as well as business and innovation.


Source : The Sun - ePaper

Kota Kinabalu to have Malaysia's first green taxi stand

Great initiative by great people for the people! More corporations and private firms need to come forward  and contribute to life-enhancing ideas such as this one.

You can read further in the following article but to summarise it, the first ever green taxi stand in Malaysia - expected to be completed in KK in three months' time, probably in June 2013 - will feature among others:-

• use of green building materials,
• powered 100% by solar,
• energy saving LED lightings, 
• energy saving ceiling fans,
• free power socket for phone charging

An artist's impression of the green taxi stand at Kg. Air. D.Express photo

Let's hope that more such stands (taxi and bus stands) would be built in and around the city centre, courtesy of generous firms, individuals and corporations.


-    -     -      ✄     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -

Kota Kinabalu's first green taxi stand in the making
D.Express, Feb 23
A proposal to upgrade and renovate the existing taxi stand at Jalan Pantai in Kampung Air, here, would see the first "green" taxi stand in the country.

The project, designed by local architect Sim Sie Hong of Innotech Design Architects Sdn Bhd, would convert the existing taxi stand into a new taxi stand using renewable and green building materials.

This was disclosed to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir by Teo Chew Association President, Chua Soon Ping, during a courtesy call in City Hall. Chua said the project is initiated and partly sponsored by the Association  together with several other companies.

Explaining the project as part of their corporate  social responsibility for the city, Chua said the new taxi stand will be 100% powered by solar power, using the latest thin film technology to power up the basic essentials lighting and ceiling fans, with some power socket for phone charging to be used by the taxi operators.

On the design, he said the new seating area will also be specially design to prevent people to sleep on it, and will have an extended roof cover to prevent taxi passengers getting wet during rainy days.

Other features will also include new LED lighting to lit the area at night and ceiling fans to keep the taxi stand cool and ventilated during hot sunny days.

According to Chua, the project would take three months to complete and once in place it would serve as a prototype of a small green building in the city, which is energy saving.

Abidin thanked the Association and the sponsors for their contribution and regarded their effort as very good example of 'smart partnership' between the Association and the corporate sector, to assist Kota Kinabalu City Hall to make the City a more liveable place.

The Mayor said the City Hall would also conduct study to look into possibility of using the same technology for all the bus stands in the city in the future.


TheGreenMechanics: How about having a fleet of "green taxi" in the city? A far-fetched ambition, or dream?

Apply green technology in development projects

It maybe too soon for some developers to aim for GBI rated buildings now, but it is achieveable and in a long run, it will benefit both the environment and the future generations. We already have our   first green building - the Art Gallery Conservation Centre located in Jalan Penampang which can save as much as RM400,000 a year in energy.

In simple terms, buildings will be awarded the GBI rating based on 6 key criteria, namely Energy Efficiency,  Indoor Environmental Quality, Sustainable Site Planning & Management, Material and Resources, Water Efficiency, and Innovation.

Datuk Hajiji Hj. Noor (centre) representing the Chief Minister at the conference. Photo: Insight Sabah

Let's go for green building

Recently, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman called on everyone, especially developers, to apply green technology in all development projects and programmes in Sabah so as to ensure a clean, safe and harmonious environment for the people.

Speaking at the launching of the Sabah Planning Conference, held in conjunction with the World Town Planning Day 2012, he said, the event is aptly conducted and in line with the government's effort to ensure development with a green technology concept.

"The conference also displays the commitment of the government through its agencies in implementing green development in Sabah," he said in a speech delivered by Local Government and Housing Minister, Datuk Hajiji Noor.

Development, he said, is a measurement stick to gauge the level of progress of a nation or state.

But, he said, apart from the various development programmes that were carried out, the green wealth and natural beauty of the State must be preserved.

It is for this reason, Musa said, that all professionals and researchers from the public and private agencies as well as NGOs should continue cooperating with one another in developing the State without sidelining the natural environment.

"I am confident and believe that if we create green towns in the State, and at the same time ensure the development that we are implementing are integrated, the people would surely live in an environment that is clean, safe and harmonious," he said.

Hence, he urged everyone involved to ensure the application of green technology in all development for the common benefit of everyone.

He said a well-planned and well-organised development must also provide spaces for leisure and recreation activities by integrating green technology into the project, be it housing, commercial and industrial development. - D.Express

Greenest Convention Centre in the world

Scheduled to host the UN Climate Change Conference starting November 26 this year, the Qatar National Convention Centre, QNCC, is considered as one of the greenest convention centers in the world.


The convention centre is designed by Japanese designer Arata Isozaki, and it features iconic facade of intertwining native Sidra trees, representing the place where poets, scholars and travellers gathered to take shelter from the fierce desert sun and interact.


Oil rich nation going green

It seem a little odd to mention Green buildings in this tiny Gulf nation which has plenty of oil and gas and, according to the International Energy Agency, has the highest per capita emissions in the world, closely followed by Gulf neighbors Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

But Associated Press said attitudes about energy use are changing across the Gulf. There is a growing recognition that the once seemingly limitless fossil fuels will someday run out and that these countries need to chart a more sustainable path. Buildings are a logical place to start.

Amazing!

Solar PV on the rooftop

The Qatar National Convention Centre

Location                             : In Qatar Foundation's 2,500-acre campus
Year built                            : 2011
Cost                                   : $720 million (estimates according to inhabitat.com)
Meeting room space            : 10,000 m2
Conference room capacity   : 4,000 delegates
Green buildings certification : U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)
Solar power                        : 3,500 m2 solar panels provides 12.5% of the building's energy needs


Photos by AP via Yahoo Finance

IEM Training Centre to have green building features according to GBI

Another green building in the making?

The IEM Training Centre in Kota Kinabalu (KKIP) is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, and it will have both passive and active features of green building according to the Green Building Index, GBI rating system.

According to the rating system, buildings will be awarded the GBI rating based on 6 key criteria:

1. Energy Efficiency (EE)
2. Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
3. Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM)
4. Material and Resources (MR)
5. Water Efficiency (WE)
6. Innovation (IN)

According to IEM Sabah branch chairman, Ir. Lo Chong Chiun, the centre at the KKIP will have a 2-storey 16,000 square foot building comprising 6 classrooms and one auditorium. The building was planned to be utilised for capacity building and continuing professional development (CPD) at both the professional and sub-professional level.

Continuing professional education is important in view that the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) is in the midst of drafting amendment to the Registration of Engineers Acts with the indentation of accrediting, empowering, and at the same time regulating the sub-professionals to ensure specified quality and standard.

On the issue of globalisation, BEM had already made amendments to the Registration of Engineers Act to accommodate the liberalisation of professional engineering services and a road show of the amended Engineers Act 2012 would be held on Monday, November 5, 2012 at The Pacific Sutera, Kota Kinabalu.

Myself and few other colleagues will be attending the seminar entitled "Proposed Amendments to The Registration of Engineers Act 1967 due to Liberalisation"


The Green Mechanics: The setting up of a training centre is timely and is in line with one of the key result areas on human capital development. Making the centre a green building (well, almost) is a good gesture from the engineers towards preserving mother nature.

Let's hope that more private/government bodies and individuals will emulate such effort.

Malaysia’s first green library

Not too long ago, I wrote about Sabah's first ever Green Building in the form of Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre in Luyang Kota Kinabalu. Of course there's another one, the IEM Centre at KKIP but I'm unsure if the engineers' building has been completed yet.

The new library in Tanjung Aru will be the first Green Library in Malaysia when completed and made available to the public in 3 year's time.

"Itu dia!" (That's it), says Deputy Chief Minister, Yahya Hussin as Wong Vui Ying, director of Sabah Library nodded in agreement. Together with him are Azizah Dun, Welfare Minister and Jainab Ayid, an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Resource Development and IT. Photo by: Ille Tugimin


Green library gets support from private sector

It is Malaysia’s first green library. But half of the RM40million ($12.9mil) of the cost of the Kota Kinabalu regional library has come from a private company, the Lahad Datu Water Supply Sendirian Berhad. It is also the first such building funded by the private sector, according to Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin who launched it at a groundbreaking ceremony in Tanjung Aru on Tuesday, September 4, 2012.

“This is a very good cooperation between the private sector and the government,” he said. The library is expected to be ready by 2015.

Like the Sabah art gallery, the library will turn to solar energy, harvest rain water and use materials that will not add to carbon dioxide emission to keep global warming in check.

Steven Tan, managing director of Lahad Datu Water Supply Sendirian Berhad, says the funding is part of his company’s corporate social responsibility. - via Insight Sabah


TheGreenMechanics' two cents:

It's really good that we are waking up to realise the need to conserve energy and save the environment. This is the common practice for many architects and building designers in West Malaysia. I should make the trip to Tanjung Aru and take a look at this building soon.

But the real deal is Singapore with its achievement of more than 1,000 green building as at the beginning of this year.

Nurture practice of efficient energy use

Illustration of Energy Efficient house.

The practice of using energy efficiently should be nurtured and cultivated in the society and should be applied at home or at the office to avoid power wastage.

During the launching of the Energy Efficiency Audit Demo Programme on Monday August 13, 2012 in Kota Kinabalu, Minister of Infrastructure Development, Pairin Kitingan, said although society has developed significantly in the past hundred years, consumer behaviour has not changed much due to lack of awareness and concern for natural resources and the environment.

Electricity generation mix in Sabah in 2011 is as follows (DE, Aug 14, 2012):
50%    : fuel gas,
40%    : diesel and medium fuel oil (MFO),
6.5%   : hydro sources
Others : renewable energy sources.

The industrial sector and electricity generation represent two-thirds of the total emission of carbon dioxide, and Malaysia is the 3rd biggest contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in ASEAN and the 31st in the world per person, at 4.5 tonne/person. It also recorded one of the highest growth rate of CO2 emission in the world at 7.9% and sits at 27th in the world as the culprit of CO2 emission at 0.69%. We apparently did not fare badly in the race for environment pollution.


Energy Efficiency Audit Programme

An Energy Efficiency Audit Programme funded by Electricity Supply Industry Trust Account (AAIBE) saw two large buildings in Kota Kinabalu city picked for a one-of demo Energy Efficiency Audit exercise  worth more than RM160,000. They are Wisma Sedco and Kinabalu Daya Hotel.

Wisma Sedco, Kota Kinabalu. Photo: lokmansunggim.blogspot

The energy audit is the first step towards a better energy management system. Generally, energy audit is a survey to review how energy was utilised in a building and to identify opportunities to save energy.

Consumers can save between 10% to 30% of their electricity bills if they adhere to the recommendations made by the auditors.

Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu. Photo: virtualtourist.com

So this programme should encourage owners of the two demo buildings to implement the efficient energy initiative, and as catalyst for other building owners to take similar initiative to get the Green Building status. This reminds me of Sabah's first Green Building, the Art Gallery Conservation Centre I wrote about last month.


What you and me can do to contribute

There is this policy adopted by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry for government buildings' temperature to be maintained at  24° Celsius. You and me can help conserve energy by setting our office temperature at 24°C or higher. Of course, you don't have to be a government servant to practice this.

FIRST GREEN BUILDING: Art Gallery saves big on power

The Green Building Index (GBI) is Malaysia’s industry recognised green rating tool for buildings to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness about environmental issues and our responsibility to the future generations.

Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre in Kota Kinabalu. Photo by Oliver Majaham/Insight Sabah

Sabah’s first Green Building is the Art Gallery Conservation Centre located in Jalan Penampang which can save as much as RM400,000 ($125,000) a year in energy. The followings are the brief details of the environmentally-friendly building:


Building and energy
Building                    : Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre
Build-type                 : 4-story
Cost to build             : RM16 million ($5million)
Location                   : Jalan Penampang, Kota Kinabalu
Power supply            : Solar + utility, SESB
Energy saved            : up to 1MWh
Energy consumption  : RM107,000 per year. Compared to RM480,000/year without the green setup
Accreditation            : GBI certificate in 2012


How is energy saved
It is designed to use natural light and solar panels for lighting and air-conditioning. Energy saving lights switch off by themself when there are no visitors at the art gallery. While the main power supply (SESB) is triggered on days when natural light is lacking or solar panels are unable to cope with the power requirement.

Water usage
Water saved               : 330,000 litre/year, or equivalent to 32% of the building water need
Saving                        : RM297.00 at RM0.90/m3 water tariff
Water consumption    : 226 litre/day average per person
Equivalent                  : water saved is enough for 1,460 people per day.

Currently, Malaysians use an average of 226 litres of water per person daily, which is way above the rest of our ASEAN neighbours. Singaporeans use 154 litres (and intend to lower it to 147 litres by 2020) while the Thais manage with 90 litres.


Carbon dioxide emission
Emission               : reduced by 780 tonnes/year
Equivalent to         : CO2 emitted by 390 people/year
Benchmark           : 1.8 trillion tonnes of CO2 release will raise the temperature by 1^oC



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The original article from the Government portal, Insight Sabah:
"First green building in Sabah helps fight global warming" - Nurhafizah Yusof & Oliver Majaham

Sabah’s first green building is helping to stop the world from getting warmer. The 16m-ringgit ($5m) Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre can save the government as much as 400,000 ringgit a year in electricity, 297 ringgit in water and cut carbon dioxide emission down by 780 tonnes that will help keep average global warming below 2oC to prevent an environmental disaster.

Natural lighting from the sky. Photo by Oliver Majaham/Insight Sabah

“This building can save up to one megawatt of electricity per year,” said Masidi Manjun, minister of tourism, culture and environment, as he received the Green Building Index certificate from Boon Che Wee, chairman of the GBI accreditation panel on June 29.

The four-storey building at Jalan Penampang is designed to reduce power consumption by using natural light and solar panels for lighting and air-conditioning. Energy saving lights switch off by themself when there are no visitors at the art gallery. And the main power supply is triggered on days when natural light is lacking or solar panels are unable to power lights and air-conditioners.

Thus electricity consumption will be greatly reduced to 900 kilowatt-hours a day, according to Jennifer Linggi, the curator of the gallery. Power cost will thus be a relatively low 107,000 ringgit a year against about 480,000 ringgit if the building were to run on supply solely from Sabah Electricity Sendirian Berhad, the state’s power company.

The art gallery will also save about 330,000 litres of water a year by harvesting rainwater to flush toilets, clean the building and water the garden. This represents a saving of 32% of the water need of the building. That is enough water for about 1,500 people. But 330,000 litres cost only 297 ringgit because water at 90 sen per 1,000 litres is comparatively cheap.

But making the building environmentally friendly will reduce carbon dioxide emission, blamed for global warming, by 780 tonnes a year. That is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 390 people every year.

The figure may not seem significant considering that it takes 1.8 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide to raise atmospheric temperature by one degree Celsius. But then there are thousands of buildings, many of them many times bigger than the art gallery in Sabah. And taking all the millions of buildings in the world, carbon reduction of the Sabah art gallery is indeed a significant step in the fight against global warming.

Buildings use up 40% of energy, 12% of water and send 40% of waste to landfill. And they thus are responsible for much of global warming and pollution.

For more readings, go to Insight Sabah website http://insightsabah.gov.my/article/read/1852