1) Introduction: The need for enhanced sustainability
2) What is the Mandatory Energy Improvement (MEI) regime?
3) How is energy use distributed in a building? Which areas use the most energy?
4) How to improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC system?
5) Can HVAC systems be further optimised?
6) Why choose ebm‑papst fans?
7) Contact Us: Get started on your retrofit journey!

The Built Environment (BE) sector in Singapore experienced significant disturbances as a result of COVID-19. However, the pandemic presented an opportunity for the industry to enhance its workforce capabilities and adopt innovative digital technologies. As the demand for construction stabilizes, the government will collaborate closely with the sector to increase its ability to withstand future difficulties, including the significant risk of climate change. To achieve this goal, the Building Construction Authority (BCA) collaborated with the industry to launch the updated Built Environment Industry Transformation Map (ITM) in the previous year. The ITM aims to promote greater productivity, sustainability, and digitalization in the BE sector [1]. Sustainable and/or carbon-neutral buildings are naturally a key consideration in this ambitious vision.

There are about 100 existing buildings in Singapore with poor energy performance that will be subjected to the MEI Regime when implementation begins. These buildings will include commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, sports and recreation centres and institutional buildings with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 5,000 m2 and above.

For buildings and their owners that fall under the MEI Regime, the flow of events will be as follows:

• From Q3 2025, receive an MEI Audit Notice
• Within 90 days of receiving the notice, appoint an energy auditor to carry out an energy audit
• The auditor will develop an Energy Efficiency Improvement Plan (EEIP) that will reduce the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) by at least 10%
  • Submit the audit report and EEIP to BCA within 1 year of issuance of the MEI Audit Notice
• Within 3 years of submitting the report and EEIP, implement EEIP measures
• For the period of a year, maintain the 10% reduction in EUI

The penalty for failing to comply with the MEI Regime will range from a fine of $10,000 to $150,000, depending on the severity of the offence. The fine amount can compound further if the offence continues as well [4].

To save energy and improve the energy consumption of a building, one must first understand how energy use is distributed within one. A local study done by the BCA in 2018 reported that mechanical systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, vertical transportation, etc are responsible for the bulk of the energy consumption in a building. In terms of proportion, the cooling system can account for up to 60% of the energy consumed and ventilation can account for about 10% [2].

These HVAC systems are also powered by a wide variety of equipment, such as pumps and fans. Fans, in particular, can account for up to 35% of energy consumption in a building’s HVAC system [3].

Therefore, reducing the energy consumption of a building’s HVAC system will be imperative in reducing the overall energy use within a building.

Applications such as air handling units (AHUs), condensers, cooling towers, fan coil units and others work in unison to keep a building cooled or ventilated. One other similarity is that all of them contain fans that help to move the air within the building. For older buildings in Singapore, many of these fans are driven by Alternating Current (AC) motors, which was the conventional choice. One of the quickest ways to reduce the energy consumption of these applications is to retrofit the AC fans with newer technology, such as Electronically Commutated (EC) fans. 

EC fans are far more efficient due to a wide variety of reasons. For example, in previous AC fan to EC fan AHU retrofits done in the Southeast Asia region, we have achieved 25% to 50% in energy savings. This figure can be even higher depending on the previous efficiency of the AC fan system. 

Yes, they can! By implementing smart Internet-of-Things solutions, energy use can be optimised further. This is accomplished through the use of occupancy sensors, which inform the system about a building’s occupancy rate. Our smart fans can then be set to switch on, speed up, slow down or power down based on the occupancy rate. This means energy is only used when it is required, further optimising energy use within the building.

At ebm‑papst SEA, we have already managed to accomplish this for a few of our customers.

ebm‑papst is one of the pioneers of EC technology. Since its initial development, ebm‑papst has worked tirelessly and invested ample funds into improving the efficacy of each new generation of fans. For example, in 2023/2024, we invested € 137.4 million into R&D.

In addition, we have designed our EC fans with various other considerations in mind. This includes but is not limited to lower noise emissions for better end-user comfort, a plug-and-play system for easy installation and compact designs for easy replacement of larger AC units.

And, as ebm‑papst moves forward into the future, we aim to engineer a better life by driving innovation and offer sustainable and digital solutions to our partners and customers.

To learn more about retrofitting your building’s HVAC systems, we recommend engaging our retrofit experts. Fill up the form below to get started!

Article by

Marketing Department of ebm‑papst SEA Pte Ltd

References:

[1] “Strengthening Resilience of the Built Environment Sector for Next Bound of Industry Transformation”, Building and Construction Authority, 2023, Retrieved from https://www1.bca.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/media-releases/2023/03/02/strengthening-resilience-of-the-built-environment-sector-for-next-bound-of-industry-transformation on 8th March 2023

[2] “Super Low Energy Building Technology Roadmap”, Building and Construction Authority, 2018, Retrieved from https://www1.bca.gov.sg/docs/default-source/docs-corp-buildsg/digitalisation/sle_tech_roadmap_report.pdf on 8th March 2023

[3] “Energy consumption breakdown for ACMV Systems”, Aircon Primer, 2011, Retrieved from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/files/docs/default-source/default-document-library/air-con-system-efficiency-primer-a-summary.pdf on 8th March 2023

[4]"Changes to the Building Control Act to enhance Energy Efficiency measures in Existing Buildings for a Sustainable Future", Building and Construction Authority, 2024, Retrieved from https://www1.bca.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/media-releases/2024/09/10/changes-to-the-building-control-act-to-enhance-energy-efficiency-measures-in-existing-buildings-for-a-sustainable-future on 23rd September 2024.